The new Montezuma-Cortez High School will include a student health clinic, complete with a full-time registered nurse and medical lab.
Addressing district board members on Tuesday, April 14, plans for the school-based health center were unveiled by Montezuma-Cortez High School health services director Sue Ciccia. The clinic will operate in coordination with Southwest Health Systems, of Cortez.
“This is a clinic for students,” Ciccia said. “The services are tailored to their needs.”
During a PowerPoint presentation to the board, Ciccia highlighted the results of a student survey. Among students, the greatest acute medical complaints were reports of headaches and exhaustion, and their top chronic health issues were allergies and asthma.
Ciccia said there were also a large number of students who revealed they suffered behavioral health issues including stress, depression and anxiety. She added a teacher survey regarding student health needs revealed the same mental and emotional concerns.
“The clinic will have full-time social worker,” said Ciccia
School-based health clinics started popping up in America in the 1970s. Across Colorado, there were 54 similar centers in 2013, which served nearly 30,000 students.
Ciccia said the benefits of a school-based health center included fewer emergency room visits, improved immunization rates and faster response times to medical needs. She added that the clinic would also reduce student absenteeism.
“Kids stay in school, and parents stay at work,” said Ciccia.
In addition to high school students, the clinic would also offer comprehensive, preventive and integrated care to other students in the district, which serves some 2,900.
“You do not have to be a student at the high school to receive treatment,” said Ciccia.
The local hospital has secured a $250,000 grant to help launch the school-based health center. Ciccia added the non-profit clinic would neither require additional tax revenue nor added funding from the district to operate.
“If a child can’t pay, then they will still be seen,” said Ciccia.
Helping to enhance a parent’s ability to offer their child access to health care, Ciccia said she envisions opening similar clinics at other area schools in the future.
“Healthy communities start with healthy kids,” she said. “Investing in children’s health saves everybody money.”
Officials report that construction on the $33.7 million Montezuma-Cortez High School remains on schedule.
The new two-story 152,500-square-foot schoolhouse is expected to open this fall.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com
