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New school-based health center launched

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Contributed by: The Rocky Mountain Youth on 8/20/2008

Approximately 180,000, or 14%, of the children in our state are uninsured. According to a recently released report from The Commonwealth Fund, Colorado ranks 44th among states for the percentage of uninsured children (ages 0-17) and 51st for the percentage of uninsured children living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, which is an annual income of $21,200 for a family of four.

To help meet the health needs of a rapidly increasing population of low-income children in Aurora - where there is a shortage of public health clinics, as well as private health care practices - Crawford Elementary School and the Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics (RMYC) today celebrated its new school-based health center with a three-year, $900,000 grant from The Colorado Trust, the largest grant that the RMYC has received to date; additional funding support comes from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Today marks the first day of service of the RMYC Dental Care mobile van at Crawford Elementary; the school-based health center will open on Monday, September 22 - appointments can be made starting on September 2.

"Aurora has experienced significant growth in recent years - growing, too, in the number of families in need of health care for their children," said Dr. Larry Wolk, Founder and Executive Director of RMYC, a pediatric safety-net provider. "While health insurance coverage is one of the strongest predictors of whether children have access to health care, even insured children aren't guaranteed access to affordable, appropriate, high-quality care. The new clinic will provide students enrolled at Crawford Elementary - and nine nearby schools - the opportunity to more easily access and afford medical, dental and mental health services."

The other Aurora elementary schools that will be served by the new Crawford school-based health center include Boston, Fletcher, Fulton, Jamaica , Kenton, Montview, Paris, Peoria and St. Therese.

"We know that children who lack access to quality health care are far more likely to miss school, are less ready to learn, and are more likely to go to the emergency room for treatable conditions such as asthma attacks or ear infections," said Irene M. Ibarra, President and CEO of The Colorado Trust, a grantmaking foundation committed to achieving access to health for all Coloradans by 2018. "It's heartening to know that the Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics are providing a familiar, accessible way for families to make sure that their children receive immunizations, have access to primary and preventive health care, and improved referrals to specialized care for complicated illnesses. In turn, these children are likely to have better school attendance and academic performance levels."

To access services, parents or guardians must complete clinic enrollment documents, including signing a consent form. Insurance is accepted (Medicaid, CHP+ and private insurance) and students with no insurance will be charged $2.00 per visit. As part of the school-based health center, the RMYC Dental Care Mobile will visit Crawford Elementary on the third Tuesday of every month to provide dental screenings, cleanings, x-rays, sealants, fluoride treatment and referrals for restorative care; students will be charged $10 per dental visit.

As well, Aurora Mental Health will provide individual, group and family counseling for patients needing mental health services. Uninsured students and their families will also have access to an Aurora Public School Insurance Liaison to be screened for qualification for a public insurance program, such as Medicaid and CHP+. Families who qualify will be offered application and enrollment assistance.

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