Governor signs legislation to expand school-based health centers

At a signing ceremony today at Conrad Schools of Science near Wilmington, Governor Markell signed House Bill 234 which ensures that school-based health centers are established in every Delaware secondary public school.

Over the past three decades, most Delaware public high schools have created on-site health centers and today more than 21,000 students are enrolled in 29 schools that feature these in-house facilities which provide links to preventive care, early detection of chronic conditions, and diagnosis and treatment of minor and acute illnesses.

School-based health centers are operated under the auspices of the state’s Division of Public Health and are staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals who use a holistic approach to address a broad range of physical and mental health issues, and health-related needs of students.

The top services provided by school-based health centers are:
o    Sport Physicals
o    Behavioral Health Counseling
o    Primary Prevention and Early Invention
o    Health Education
o    Information and Referral

School-based health centers are not designed to serve as a primary care provider, but instead to coordinate care between students and their primary care provider, and to increase access to services.