HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Regional School Committee received an update about its School Based Health Center, part of the Hilltown Community Health Centers, from HCHC chief executive officer Eliza Lake and nurse practitioner Brenda Jaeger at its meeting Wednesday.
Brenda Jaeger of Russell, who started as nurse practitioner at the Gateway School-based Health Clinic in October. (Photo by Amy Porter)
HCHC is a federally qualified health center, with locations including the Worthington Health Center, the Huntington Health Center, the Hilltown Community Center, where social service programs are provided, and the School-Based Health Center in Gateway. Lake said they will also be opening a new health center in Amherst next year, to meet the need for a community-based program in that area.
Lake called Gateway one of its most important community partners, and one of the best referral sources for care for HCHC. She said the SBHS, which opened 16 years ago in Gateway, provides a full range of dental services from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, in addition to routine and preventive health care, sports physicals, same day sick visits, emergency care, behavioral health counseling, and nutrition services. Gator Grins, the dental outreach program, serves 34% of the children in the district, according to Lake.
Lake also introduced Brenda Jaeger, nurse practitioner at the clinic, who began in October. Jaeger, a Russell resident, has an extensive background as a nurse, nurse supervisor and nurse manager, including 22 years as a flight nurse in the Air Force Reserves, from which she recently retired as a Lt. Colonel. While earning her doctorate in nursing practice/nurse practitioner, she interned at the Huntington Health Center.
Jaeger told the School Committee that 59% of the school district is signed up to come to the school-based health center, if needed. She spoke about the great collaboration between the health center and school staff, especially school nurses.
Nurse practitioner Brenda Jaeger and Eliza Lake, CEO of the Hilltown Community Health Centers (center) give an update to the Gateway School Committee Wednesday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
After the meeting, Jaeger said she works three days a week at the schools and two days at the Huntington Health Center, alternating with physician Mary Chmura at the schools.
“It’s a great program. I wish there were something like this when my children were younger. It’s a great asset to the school and the community,” Jaeger said. She said the ability for parents to have their children seen quickly is “huge.”
Jaeger said the clinic opens at 7:30 a.m., before the elementary school start time of 9 a.m., and sometimes parents send their children to her to see if they’re okay to go to school. The clinic also offers sports physicals for students, which are sometimes hard for parents to schedule with their regular physicians.
She said the clinic collaborates well with school nurses, who may send students to them for further evaluation or treatment, such as for a potential strep throat. The clinic is able to do the medical evaluation and prescribe medicine, if needed. The clinic also serves staff at the school.
“It’s great being part of the health centers, I always have somebody I can call when I have a question, and the ability to reach back to another provider for guidance or assistance,” Jaeger said.
She said most students enroll in the clinic at the beginning of the year, but not exclusively.
“We try to see any child that wants to be seen. The whole point is to provide care at any point when they need it,” Jaeger said.
She said they are seeing quite a few cold symptoms already this year, and was planning to go to Chester Elementary on Thursday to give flu shots to students and staff.
