Thursday, October 10, 2024
10/10/2024
Children and families in low-resourced, rural communities often face fragmented care across health, social, and educational needs, resulting in poorer health and wellness outcomes. School-based health care coordination, provided through school-based health centers (SBHCs), can reduce fragmented care by organizing a wide range of health care activities to ensure that students’ health and social needs are addressed and advance health equity. The School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA)’s project, Care Coordination in Rural School-Based Health Centers for Improving Health Outcomes, aims to embed care coordination in six counties across New Mexico and West Virginia, serving Hispanic, Native American, rural Appalachian, and African American students in 11 schools served by SBHCs. We will strategically target two Social Determinants of Health – Health Access and Quality and Education Access and Quality – to reduce social barriers, increase preventive health services, and make progress towards two Leading Health Indicators: household food insecurity and hunger and adolescents with major depressive episodes who receive treatment. Focusing on these domains and indicators allows us to work towards eliminating barriers that low-resourced rural counties face in accessing critical health services and educational opportunities, directly impacting the well-being and academic success of school-aged children. Our project will create a Collaborative Network of SBHA State Affiliates, Primary Care Associations, Federally Qualified Health Centers, school-based health centers, schools, students, parents, and community partners to effectively implement and maintain the care coordination infrastructure. Key infrastructure components of this project involve implementing care coordination technology and hiring and training four dedicated school-based health Care Coordinators. Care coordination activities will facilitate the integration and optimization of preventive health services within school settings, facilitating a more coordinated approach to health care delivery and education. Care coordinators will screen for Social Determinants of Health needs related to household food insecurity and hunger and depression, develop care plans to address needs, and work closely with their school and community to ensure that students receive comprehensive, timely, and culturally appropriate health care interventions. Our project will focus on creating systematic changes that will address immediate health needs and foster resilience in these rural counties. This project includes a rigorous evaluation component designed to measure the effectiveness and impact of the care coordination model on student health and educational outcomes. By collecting and analyzing data, the project aims to contribute valuable insights to the evidence base on the efficacy of school-based health care coordination. These findings will inform future strategies and policies aimed at improving health outcomes in similar rural settings across the country. Through this comprehensive approach, this project seeks to create a replicable model of care that ensures equitable access to health services and educational opportunities, ultimately leading to healthier, more successful students and families.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
