Creative Solutions for Health Care and Education
Creative solutions to difficult problems can be found in South Carolina. I found one on a recent trip to the Florence-Myrtle Beach area.
Children in rural counties often have difficulty getting to a nurse or doctor for routine medical care-the kind of care that keeps you feeling good most days. Transportation is a big problem along with availability of services. Children who do not get good medical care are often absent from school or feel too sick to concentrate. Many miss their immunizations or fail to take important medications. All of these health problems affect the ability of children to learn and lead to higher health costs later in life.
Florence District 5 in Johnsonville has addressed these problems in an innovative way. The District built a beautiful, modern health clinic next to the high school and opened it to all students (starting at 2 years old) and their families in the district’s three schools. The clinic provides preventive care, including immunizations, athletic physicals, and regular checkups while also dealing with illness or injury care. The clinic is self-supporting with funds coming from Medicaid and private insurance.
The effects of this clinic are evident in lower absentee rates for students and faculty, greater participation on athletic teams, and positive attitudes toward the school among groups often alienated from educational institutions, not to mention lower future health care costs.
I love this idea. Using school facilities to provide public services (remember the public library next to Ware Shoals High School?) is an effective way of meeting human needs while also making the school a true meeting point for the community, especially in rural areas. We need more clinics in schools-and more creative solutions to difficult problems.
