TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A new pilot program at Terre Haute North High School provides students and staff the opportunity to seek professional healthcare without leaving the building.
Valley Professionals Community Health Center now has four clinics in local schools. The Vigo County School Corporation says they wanted to test the concept after seeing the other three at various schools in Parke County. Nurse Practitioner Michelle Miller says they can do many things, such as COVID or strep testing, blood work, and more.
“I can order tests, X-rays that need to be done,” Miller said. “We also can do vaccines and well visits, I can do sports physicals, Valley Professionals also has a therapist here that can help with mental health issues and counseling for patients that need that, so I’m able to refer patients to some mental health therapy as well.”
The clinic is open to all Terre Haute North students and staff. One Terre Haute North English teacher, Valeri Kershaw, has a child at the school. She says the clinic makes it easy to get an appointment without missing school or work.
“It is tough taking off a half day if there is an emergency to take a quick check about something,” Kershaw said. “This year, my son needed to be seen for something small, and it was really really nice because I just signed him up for an appointment, they called him down, and in and out of class and I didn’t have to take a day off.”
The cost and payment process operates just like a regular clinic. Miller says the only difference is the in-school location.
“Once we get parental consent from the student’s parents, they’re able to give insurance information,” Miller said. “We accept almost every kind of insurance there is, and then if somebody doesn’t have insurance, we have a sliding fee scale that we can go based on income and also have people here from Valley Professionals that can help people get set up with insurance if that’s something that they need.”
Since the beginning of the school year, the clinic has already seen 79 students. VCSC officials say that they are in discussion to expand to other schools due to the clinic’s success at Terre Haute North.
