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PARACHUTE — Grand River Hospital District received a grant from the Colorado Health Foundation, which will allow the organization to open a new student health center in Parachute.
The Grand River Student Health Center will provide health care for students and staff of Garfield County School District 16 in Parachute.
Grand River Medical District will partner with local organizations to offer this community service. District 16 will provide the space and resources to help run the health center and Garfield County Public Health will administer immunizations to students and staff. Garfield County Department of Human Services will also be included in the mix offering services to help eligible children enroll in Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP) and Colorado West Mental Health Services for services and counseling.
The health center will be open five days a week, Monday through Friday, and will be staffed by a licensed nurse practitioner, and a medical doctor will oversee operations of the facility.
“We have plans to go into the summer seasons as well,” said Lois Kame, Administrative Director of Clinic Operations for Grand River Hospital District and Director of Grand River Student Health Center.
Possible services the health center may provide include: Physical examinations, immunizations, routine lab tests and throat cultures, prescriptions and medications, care for acute injury and illness, management of chronic conditions such as asthma, parent and student wellness education, and referrals to community providers and agencies.
The health center will provide services to district students and employees regardless of ability to pay, in large part due to the $400,000 Colorado Health Foundation grant, Kame said. The grant is to be distributed over the next four years and, according to Kame, Grand River will contribute a portion of the nurses' salary and will also be donating some of the supplies needed for the clinic.
To help sustain this community service, private insurance, Medicaid, and CHP will be billed. Families will be responsible for any applicable co-payments and deductibles.
According to Garfield School District Superintendent Ken Haptonstall, the district will provide the facility for the clinic at the Family Learning Center in Parachute. The facility was open in 2008 and the district included the need for the clinic in the center.
“There will be no additional cost to the school district, but this will be a huge benefit to the district,” Haptonstall said.
This facility is different from the existing Battlement Mesa Medical Clinic and Grand River Health and Safety Center in Parachute, because it provides students of the district with basic health care at the school facility.
According to Kame, a recent study showed that only 47 percent of children, ages 1-14, had a personal physician, well below the state's average of 61.5 percent of students of the same age who have a regular physician.
“We've found that there are so many kids that don't go to the clinic,” Kame said. “A lot of this is to be able to take care of the children in school if they need something. The biggest thing is access.”
Kame said that she hopes to have the clinic up and running by Nov. 1. She said that she is currently reviewing applicants for the nursing position.
The Grand River Student Health Center will provide health care for students and staff of Garfield County School District 16 in Parachute.
Grand River Medical District will partner with local organizations to offer this community service. District 16 will provide the space and resources to help run the health center and Garfield County Public Health will administer immunizations to students and staff. Garfield County Department of Human Services will also be included in the mix offering services to help eligible children enroll in Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP) and Colorado West Mental Health Services for services and counseling.
The health center will be open five days a week, Monday through Friday, and will be staffed by a licensed nurse practitioner, and a medical doctor will oversee operations of the facility.
“We have plans to go into the summer seasons as well,” said Lois Kame, Administrative Director of Clinic Operations for Grand River Hospital District and Director of Grand River Student Health Center.
Possible services the health center may provide include: Physical examinations, immunizations, routine lab tests and throat cultures, prescriptions and medications, care for acute injury and illness, management of chronic conditions such as asthma, parent and student wellness education, and referrals to community providers and agencies.
The health center will provide services to district students and employees regardless of ability to pay, in large part due to the $400,000 Colorado Health Foundation grant, Kame said. The grant is to be distributed over the next four years and, according to Kame, Grand River will contribute a portion of the nurses' salary and will also be donating some of the supplies needed for the clinic.
To help sustain this community service, private insurance, Medicaid, and CHP will be billed. Families will be responsible for any applicable co-payments and deductibles.
According to Garfield School District Superintendent Ken Haptonstall, the district will provide the facility for the clinic at the Family Learning Center in Parachute. The facility was open in 2008 and the district included the need for the clinic in the center.
“There will be no additional cost to the school district, but this will be a huge benefit to the district,” Haptonstall said.
This facility is different from the existing Battlement Mesa Medical Clinic and Grand River Health and Safety Center in Parachute, because it provides students of the district with basic health care at the school facility.
According to Kame, a recent study showed that only 47 percent of children, ages 1-14, had a personal physician, well below the state's average of 61.5 percent of students of the same age who have a regular physician.
“We've found that there are so many kids that don't go to the clinic,” Kame said. “A lot of this is to be able to take care of the children in school if they need something. The biggest thing is access.”
Kame said that she hopes to have the clinic up and running by Nov. 1. She said that she is currently reviewing applicants for the nursing position.
