Medical clinics open in two Biloxi elementary schools
BILOXI, Miss (WXXV) — Two elementary schools in the Biloxi School District now have school-based medical clinics, providing free medical care to elementary students at Gorenflo and Nichols elementary schools.
The Coastal Family Health Center cut the ribbon Thursday on its new clinic at Nichols Elementary. The clinics will have on-site nurse practitioners who can assess students, conduct tests and lab work, and send prescriptions to a pharmacy to be filled. Best of all, it’s at no cost to students.
“At the clinic we have full lab services, so we can do screenings, lead levels, hemoglobin. We can do … punctures for the teachers and students if we needed to, but for teachers we can do their annual wellness visits,” said Reagan McMurtery, a nurse practitioner. “We have vision screenings for the children, we are able to do their hearing screenings, and that’s really important as they get older – making sure that they can hear the teachers, see the board.”
There are now 30 of these clinics across the lower seven counties. The Coastal Family Health Center says these school-based clinics not only help students, but also parents.
“A lot of times, parents… they can’t take off of work for… it could be anything, and being able to see them at the schools, they don’t have to miss school. We can do a visit here. We can still collaborate with the parents, talk to the parents, and the child can still get what they need,” said Angelica Trieu, a nurse practitioner.
School officials say the clinics could help improve attendance while also bridging the gap for students who may not have the means to visit a clinic elsewhere. And they say they’re already seeing results.
“It is convenient and financially beneficial because it’s free for our students, so it gives access to this healthcare and it can help with attendance,” said Dr. Trenisha Weekley, Principal of Nichols Elementary School.
“It’s about access. School has just gotten started, but I’ve already seen our students getting care that we’ve been trying to get parents to get them that same care over the last couple of years. Now that we’re actually seeing them get that care, it’s already been amazing,” said Dr. Jonathan Beasley, Principal of Gorenflo Elementary School.
Officials with Coastal Family Health Center say they plan to build on this momentum, with hopes of opening additional school-based clinics throughout south Mississippi in the future.
