Oregon School Health Centers Set Record

School-based health centers (SBHC) throughout Oregon reported record highs in patient visits and people served during the 2023-24 school year, according to an annual status report released by Oregon Health Authority.

Operating through a unique community partnership model, Oregon’s 87 SBHCs served 43,000 people – mostly school-aged youth ages 5 to 21 – and accommodated nearly 149,000 patient visits in 28 counties.

Most school-aged patients used SBHC services for primary care in such areas as well visits, immunizations, reproductive health, and acute care.

Forty-seven percent of school-aged patients came to the SBHC for behavioral health services.

SBHCs are clinics located in schools or on school grounds that provide community resources to support people’s health and well-being and have existed in Oregon since 1986. They provide access to comprehensive, youth-centered health services for children and youth, many of whom would otherwise go without care.

“SBHC staff and providers work hard every day to ensure that students, their families – and in some cases people in their communities – receive top quality health care,” said Tom Jeanne, M.D., M.P.H., deputy state health officer and epidemiologist at OHA. “This is challenging work, and the need has never been greater.”

Oregon’s SBHCs provide accessible and affordable care, referral and treatment services and operate under federal, state and local regulations.

All are operated by medical entities, with nearly 75% operated by federally qualified health centers (FQHC)—federally funded nonprofit health centers and clinics that serve medically underserved areas and populations. All FQHCs provide primary care services regardless of a person’s ability to pay.

OHA certifies and provides $65,000 a year to each state-certified SBHC to support base operating costs. SBHCs supplement this state funding through a combination of grants, funding from partner agencies, fundraising and in-kind donations, and public and private insurance billing.

According to the report:

  • Overall patient visits increased 15%, and the number of patients increased almost 13% since the previous year, rebounding from declines during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • A similar trend occurred in behavioral health services. Visits for all ages increased about 19% from the previous school year; and the number of behavioral health patients increased by 14%.
  • School-aged patients accounted for 71% of all SBHC visits and accounted for more than three clinic visits during the year, on average. One third of these patients received an immunization.
  • More than 2,000 dental visits were made by 1,298 school-aged clients.

At a minimum, SBHCs serve students enrolled at the host school. However, many SBHCs serve other populations, such as student families, school staff, students at other schools, or the surrounding communities.

Visit the following links to read and hear about how students and their families are embracing services provided by school-based health centers:

To learn more about Oregon’s SBHCs check out the OHA SBHC Program webpage. 

Source: Oregon Health Authority

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content