District will partner with health center
Good Neighborhood Healthcare to build, operate clinic on Cy-Fair ISD campus
The Cy-Fair school board has agreed to a partnership with Good Neighbor Healthcare Center to establish the district’s first school-based health center.
The nonprofit Good Neighbor Healthcare Center has a community health center in the Houston Heights but traces its origins to a center that served families living in poverty in Houston’s Fourth Ward more than 40 years ago.
As a federally qualified health center, GNHC does not refuse care to anyone.
It accepts patient fees based on ability to pay but also is funded through federal grants and donations and collaborates with healthcare providers such as M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth and Baylor College of Medicine. The nonprofit Cy-Hope also is a collaborator.
Under the agreement being worked out with the district, GNHC will build and operate the stand-alone clinic on the campus of the 11th high school, which is expected to open in the fall of 2016 at FM 529 and Westgreen Boulevard.
In addition to providing the land for the center, the district’s contributions would be “in-kind” and could include
security or help with transportation.
The clinic will be open for students, employees and the community to provide primary and acute medical care, dental and vision services, health and nutrition education, mental health services, outreach and insurance enrollment and case management.
The proposal has been under review for months, receiving a thumbs-up from the superintendent’s cabinet and the student health advisory council, said Bevin Gordon, the district director of health services.
Gordon said the United States had about 2,000 school-based health centers in 2013.
The Dallas school district was the first in Texas to also provide mental health services.
Students who used those services had an 84 percent decrease in disciplinary referrals, and absenteeism was reduced by 50 percent, Gordon said.
District superintendent Mark Henry said he has worked in a district that had school-based health clinics.
“I’ve found that two factors — school lunches and access to health care — have the biggest impact on students,” he said.
GNHC’s new CEO, Ann Thielke, and Allen Ueckert also spoke about the center at the board’s May 7 workshop.
The center would be located near campuses with a high number of economically disadvantaged students and could aid with early detection of chronic health issues and prevention of risk factors, Ueckert said.
He and Gordon described the CFISD-GNHC model as “unique and ground-breaking” for Texas based on the number of services to be provided.
The vote to approve the partnership with GNHC was unanimous and followed a lengthy program held May 11 at the Berry Center to recognize students who achieved state and national honors this year.
Highlights of the program included a performance by the Cypress Falls High School Varsity Women’s Choir, which was selected to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association state and national conferences this year and recognition of students selected to TMEA’s All-State Band, Choir and Orchestra. Also recognized were:
Longtime livestock show supporters Mike and Darlene Jarrar, whose Jarrar & Co. Inc. was the top volume buyer in this year’s show and sale with 40 animal projects purchased for nearly $86,000, including a record-tying $30,000 bid for the reserve champion steer.
Cy-Ridge High School Cadet Anna Good was recognized for her Enhanced Junior ROTC award from the Texas Society of Sons of the American Revolution.
Cypress Creek High School senior Travis Johnson was honored as the district’s sole nominee to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program for a perfect SAT score.
Cy-Lakes High biology teacher Matt Wells was named as the 2015 Texas Outstanding Biology Teacher by a national association.
The Cypress Woods girls’ basketball team was recognized for its Class 6A state championship, gold and silver medalists in the UIL state swimming and diving meet and winners in state wrestling meets.
Winners in statewide competitions by Hospitality Educators Association of Texas, Skills USA Texas, various journalism organizations, Future Business Leaders of America, Technology Student Association,, Student Television Network, UIL Young Filmakers Festival, and state and national arts, writing and video events also were honored.