LaTroya A. Hester
Social Impact Communicator | Trainer | Founder
Wake County Teens Want Access to Health Care
Area high school students advocate for a school-based health center
RALEIGH, N.C. – November 9, 2010 – While the issue of health care is expected to dominate the conversations on CNN and in office break rooms, it may be surprising to know that health care is also a hot topic across high school cafeteria tables. A Wake County group of high school youth called Action Now! is leading the conversation, and advocating for school-based health centers.
According to Doug Pluta, a freshman at Enloe High School, youth in Wake County have been as uneasy as adults in the community about access and adequacy of health care.
Considering that a school nurse is only available once a week in most Wake County schools, he and his peers have cause for concern. In fact, the Wake County student to nurse ratio is an astonishing one to 2100.
Yet ratios aren’t the only need that a school-based health center can fill. Established in 53 other public schools in North Carolina, these on-campus, full-service health centers are known to provide comprehensive education, vaccinations, and treatment related to mental health, injury and various chronic and acute illnesses.
The result is higher school attendance, lower emergency room visits, and added support for uninsured youth. Moreover, these on-campus services are developed based on the needs of each individual community, benefitting everyone.
With $100 million of federal grant funds available for the construction of such health centers through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) School-Based Health Centers Capital Program, the youth’s venture comes at a good time.
The Action Now! youth are moving swiftly to prepare for their work. On November 10, they participated in an in-dept advocacy training by Connie Parker, Executive Director of the North Carolina School Community Health Alliance.