Seven School-Based Health Centers Receive Planning Grants
Print This PostGeorgia’s school-based clinic services are receiving a much-needed boost to increase access and care for children, thanks to additional planning grants from the Emory Department of Pediatrics Urban Health Program.
Veda Johnson MD, assistant professor of pediatrics in the Emory School of Medicine and director of the Pediatric Urban Health Program, announced funding for seven additional planning grants throughout Georgia intended to stimulate development, collaboration, and community discussion to expand the number of school-based health centers throughout the state. The Pediatrics Urban Health Program awarded 11 grants in August 2010.
“By expanding school-based clinic services, children in Georgia will benefit from improved access to primary health care, improved health outcomes, and improved school attendance,” said Johnson. “The state will benefit from reduced cost to the Medicaid system through the reduction in inappropriate emergency room visits and hospitalizations for chronic illnesses.”
The grants are being funded by a $3-million gift from The Zeist Foundation aimed to help improve outcomes for at-risk children in metro Atlanta and across the state over the next five years.
More than 300,000 of Georgia’s children are uninsured with very limited access to routine healthcare. Of the 2,000 school-based health clinics in the nation, there are only three in Georgia compared to 245 in Florida.
The seven new grantees represent Georgia Family Connection collaborative partnerships from the Butts County School system, First Choice Primary Care of Bibb County, Lamar County School System, Lowndes/Valdosta Commission for Children and Youth, Pike County You Equal Success Team, Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families, and Ware County Board of Education.
The Emory Pediatric Urban Health Program will award additional $10,000 planning grants next year. For more information on how to apply, visit pediatrics.emory.edu/centers/urbanhealth, or contact Ruth Ellis at 404-778-1402 or at relli01@emory.edu.
Read our latest blog entry, “School-based Health Clinics Are a Lifesaver…Literally.”
Contact:
Pearlette Cid
GaFCP Communications Associate
404-527-7394 (x137)
pearlette@gafcp.org
Juliette Merchant
Assistant Director, Media Relations, Grady Memorial Hospital
404-778-1503
juliette.merchant@emory.edu