Kaiser Permanente Awards Grant to the Oregon School-Based Health Alliance

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News Release

Portland, Oregon – The Oregon School-Based Health Alliance (OSBHA) will partner with Kaiser Permanente to proactively strengthen school-based health center (SBHC) services in Lane County, Oregon.
 
As Kaiser Permanente plans to open new medical and dental clinics in Lane County in 2016, the organization is supporting a range of local efforts, including the expansion of dental services, scholarships for high school students, capacity building workshops for nonprofit staff, and opportunities for physicians and clinicians to volunteer with community partners.

A new grant for OSBHA will support four existing SBHCs in the Springfield, Bethel, and Eugene school districts with a goal of improving health services through SBHCs and serving more students. The grant will help SBHCs strengthen community partnerships, improve business models, and create sustainability plans over the next year.

Laurie Huffman, OSBHA’s recently appointed executive director, says the funding will allow OSBHA to help Lane County SBHCs become more sustainable and operate with greater capacity. “We understand that school-based health centers have a long history in Eugene and Springfield, and we want to stabilize their presence, improve their impact, and reach more students and families in need of quality health care through their SBHC.”
 
In the coming year, OSBHA will engage a network of regional stakeholders to explore SBHC planning, development, community engagement, and sustainability strategies with the goal of improving the health and academic success of Lane County youth. The project is scheduled to launch in August 2015.
 
Rafael Otto, OSBHA’s community affairs director and project manager, says “This is a tremendous opportunity to examine the value of school-based health centers within Lane County, explore partnerships to solidify SBHCs as community assets, and plan for long-term viability and success.”

For more information: Rafael Otto, rafael@osbha.org, 503.719.4515

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The Oregon School-Based Health Alliance is a statewide nonprofit organization based in Portland that supports existing SBHCs and works to strengthen, sustain, and expand school-based health centers to support the health and academic success of children and youth. For more information: osbha.org.
 
About Oregon School-Based Health Centers
  • SBHCs operate at the intersection of primary care, public health, prevention, mental health care, and education
  • Oregon has 72 certified school-based health centers
  • SBHCs serve students and families in 21 Oregon counties
  • SBHCs served 23,797 clients in 70,666 visits (2013-2014 Service Year)
  • 77 percent of students estimated they would miss one class or more in order to visit an off-site clinic (2013-2014 Service Year)
  • 84 percent of students using SBHCs report they are very satisfied with their center
  • At least $2 to $3 additional dollars are leveraged from grants, billing, donations and other sources for every state dollar invested