Bassett gets DOH grant
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COOPERSTOWN – Bassett Healthcare’s School-Based Health program has been awarded $312,256 by the New York State Department of Health. The award will help Bassett’s school-based health centers continue to provide comprehensive health, mental health and dental health care to school-aged children throughout nine upstate New York school districts. “School-based health centers (SBHCs) are a wonderful way to provide students with good quality health care where they are, in schools,” said Chris Kjolhede, MD, FAAP, and director of School-Based Health at Bassett. Kjolhede noted that, in schools where the program is established, administrators point to a proven track record and high parental satisfaction with the services. Kjolhede also said research shows that students in schools with SBHCs go to the emergency department less, are hospitalized less and are less likely to be absent from school. SBHCs provide comprehensive primary health care to students, including physical exams, and diagnosis and treatment of chronic and acute illnesses. In some centers, additional services are offered, such as oral screenings, dental referrals, mental health counseling and referrals, social work services and basic laboratory tests. School-Based Health was established at Bassett in 1991 as part of a regional health initiative providing convenient, comprehensive health care services in school settings to students from kindergarten through grade 12. Earlier this year, Bassett opened in three new school districts, Cooperstown, Worcester and Middleburgh, bringing the total to 13 SBHCs in the Bassett service region. There are nearly 2,000 SBHCs nationwide, 200 of which are located in New York State.
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