Health Partnership Clinic and Shawnee Mission School District Partner to Add New School-Based Clinic in Merriam Park Elementary School

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Merriam Park

Embracing the idea that success in school starts with healthy learners, Health Partnership Clinic (HPC) plans to add a new federally qualified, school-based health center at Merriam Park Elementary School, 6100 Mastin St., in Merriam, Kan. beginning Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.

The new site will only be available to Shawnee Mission School District students. HPC currently operates clinics in Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Paola and Ottawa, Kan.

The new center, which will initially open on Jan. 30, 2018, will see patients on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. for walk-in health services and on Wednesdays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. for behavioral health services.

It will accept KanCare/Medicaid, commercial insurance and uninsured patients. A sliding-fee discount program is available to those who qualify. The center will be housed in existing space at the school.

According to Amy Falk, HPC’s CEO, the clinic will offer specialized pediatric-focused care to treat most health conditions that affect school-aged children. Our services are available through the school year to any Shawnee Mission student or child who attends the district’s Early Childhood Education Center.

“School-based clinics can make a huge difference to students’ health as well as their academic lives,” Falk adds. “In partnership with the school district, we hope to expand our reach to the community and offer convenient care that limits the amount of time students are out of class and parents/guardians must be off work.”

“Our goal is to serve as a medical home for children and offer an additional access point to primary care,” notes Anne VanGarsse, MD, FAAP, CHCEF, Pediatrician and Chief Health Officer. “Clinic services will include sick child visits, well-child and sports physicals, immunizations, chronic disease care like asthma, obesity and high cholesterol, mental health services, social service referrals and nutritional guidance.”

Shelby Rebeck, MSN, BSN, RN, Health Services Coordinator for Shawnee Mission School District says, “The idea is to break down barriers to health care. Barriers for many of our students include low income, lack of knowledge, lack of transportation and parents’/guardians’ inability to take time away from hourly jobs. Health Partnership provides a tremendous opportunity for our students to receive critical health care so that they can be successful in school.”

HPC will serve approximately 490 students from Merriam Park as well as other Shawnee Mission schools.

“The Shawnee Mission School District and Health Partnership Clinic are an example of how two organizations can come together to help improve the lives of children,” says Chaussee Druen, Principal, Merriam Park Elementary School. “The school-based health clinic will greatly expand the resources of our school nurse and social worker, and we hope to see improvement in attendance and student achievement.”

For more information about Health Partnership Clinic, or to schedule a medical appointment, Shawnee Mission School District parents should call 913-648-2266. To schedule a behavioral health appointment, parents should contact the school’s building social worker, or call 913-993-6422.

Health Partnership Clinic (HPC) provides comprehensive, quality health care services, including medical, dental and behavioral health, for children and adults, regardless of socioeconomic status. HPC is in Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Paola and Ottawa, primarily serving Johnson, Franklin and Miami counties. HPC is a Federally Qualified Health Center and Federal Tort Claims Act-deemed facility. To learn more, visit www.hpcks.org.

Shawnee Mission School District is the third largest school district in Kansas with more than 27,000 students and 4,300 employees. The district contains 33 elementary schools, five middle schools and five high schools. It also includes Horizons High School, and an Early Childhood Education Center. It’s been consistently ranked among the finest school districts nationwide for its high student performance. The district serves a diverse student population from 14 cities within northeast Johnson County, Kansas, which is 10 miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit http://www.smsd.org/.