Health center would target high-school students
July 17, 2008
By Laura Geggel
The task force studying the need for a teen health center in Snoqualmie Valley has decided to target high-school students as the center’s patient base.
After speaking with both Two Rivers School Principal Tom Athanases and a focus group composed of Mount Si High School students, the task force decided there was a greater need for physical and mental healthcare among high-school students than for their younger middle-school counterparts.
Debby Peterman, the contracted teen health center coordinator for Snoqualmie Valley Community Network, organized the focus group with Mount Si students in early June. Peterman said the students reported they would like a center that would not only allow them access to physical and mental healthcare, but also would provide them with a place to hang out.
Teenagers reported wanting access to a health care professional who could help them deal with issues like depression, suicide and even sexual assault.
“There isn’t a huge need for medical services,” said Peterman. “We’re seeing a demand for mental health cases.”
But Elaine Burgener, teacher and part-time counselor at Two Rivers, said both physical and mental healthcare services could benefit Two Rivers students, many of whom are in situations requiring them to be independent and make their own doctor’s appointments.
Burgener said she could envision the clinic playing a role for both preventative care and treatment for services ranging from primary to acute care – including diabetes and reproductive health.
“If these factors are not taken into consideration, it becomes impossible for students to learn,” Burgener said.
About 150 high-school students and 15 middle-school students attend Two Rivers School, a school of choice emphasizing goal setting and personal responsibility. About 30 percent of the students at Two Rivers qualify for free or reduced lunch, compared to about 10 percent who qualify district-wide, said Athanases.
The school has no on-site nurses, although nurses from the high school can be requested. Burgener spends about 20 percent of her time as the only Two Rivers counselor. A Friends of Youth counselor, Betsy Gudz, voluntarily spends her three office hours at Two Rivers once a week.
The Snoqualmie Valley Community Network is still looking for ways to fund the potential health center. The network is using a $20,000 planning grant from the Washington State Department of Health to see if there is a need for a teen health center in the Valley. There is a Sept. 15 deadline to apply for a $75,000 grant for a permanent center. The DOH anticipates two implementation contracts will be available for renewal for a three- to five-year period.
Before they research a renewable monetary source, the network must find a location to house the center.
None of the Snoqualmie Valley middle or high schools have space for a teen health center, but Peterman said the network was considering three other housing choices: a portable, a mobile or a storefront center.
At a July 10 community meeting, participants said a portable health center at Two Rivers would provide a setting of familiarity and trust with easy access to students.
With wheels, a mobile health center could serve both Mount Si High School and Two Rivers, Peterman said. However, it could be hard for students to keep track of the mobile unit’s schedule.
Peterman spoke with Dr. Larry Wolk, who runs mobile units in Colorado called The Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics. Wolk said a unit can cost a minimum of $60,000 per year and is inaccessible during maintenance checkups, Peterman said.
A storefront location could also easily serve both student populations and serve as a safe and friendly place for students to spend time.
“I think a health center would be a fabulous addition to our community,” said Athanases. “If it were across the street and down the road, a lot of them would use it.”
Reporter Laura Geggel can be reached at 392-6434 x221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
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