Washington County Enterprise-Leader
School-Based Health Clinic Opens
ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE HAS 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
PRAIRIE GROVE — A new schoolbased health clinic, available to students, the community and surrounding area, opened its doors Monday at Prairie Grove Intermediate School.
“Yippee,” said Carmel Perry, director of the school district’s Coordinated School Health program. “We’re just so excited to finally be able to give our community and school and our staff this clinic.” Perry has been waiting more than a year for the clinic to open.
Clinic hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Appointments can be made by calling 479-846-8100.
The Prairie Grove Health and Wellness Clinic is located in the former administrative office of the Intermediate School. The walls are painted with bright, primary colors and student artwork decorates the walls. One large chair in the waiting room is covered with colorful duct tape.
Chantal Sumlin will serve as the clinic’s advanced practice registered nurse. She has 15 years of experience as an advanced registered nurse, including working for a school-based health clinic in Columbus, Ga.
Sumlin, who lives in Fayetteville, said she is looking forward to seeing patients at the clinic.
“I like seeing all the age ranges,” Sumlin said. “A lot of pediatrics is associated with school-based clinics but I like that there’s the opportunity to provide care for the whole
family.”
The clinic was made possible through a $530,000 grant to the Prairie Grove School District from the Arkansas Department of Education. Prairie Grove has signed an agreement with Community Clinic, a health care ministry of St. Francis House NWA, to run the office.
The full-time clinic staff includes Sumlin, Kathy Vestal, medical assistant, and a behavioral health specialist for mental health. This third position has not been filled yet but Perry said Community Clinic is interviewing a potential candidate for the job.
While a medical doctor will not be on site at the clinic, Sumlin said she has a collaborative agreement with a physician who will remain available by phone to answer questions about any concerns.
Sumlin said the Prairie Grove health center will provide the full scope of family practice services, including wellness visits, physical exams, immunizations and management of acute and chronic illnesses. It also has a full service lab on site.
Perry said the school has sent packets of information home with all school children to tell parents about the new clinic. Parents can send back a signed form to give permission for their child to be seen at the health clinic.
When a child complains of feeling sick at school, the student first will go to the school nurse. If the nurse determines further care is needed, then the child can be sent to the health and wellness center, if a signed permission slip is on file. Perry said students will be accompanied by a school employee to the clinic and will be able to enter the health center from a door within the Intermediate School and not have to go through the waiting room.
Other services at the clinic will be provided by dentist Dr. Brad Green of Prairie Grove and optometrist Dr. Jonathan Shaver of Rogers. Green and Shaver will be at the clinic one or two days each month for dental and vision screenings and preventative care for school children.
Perry said schools across the nation are pushing for the health of their students and that Prairie Grove School District will benefit from a wellness center on site.
“It means better attendance, better lifelong health skills, better discipline, better test scores,” Perry said.