Research has shown that school-based health centers (SBHCs) improve utilization of health care services, health outcomes, attendance, grades, and graduation rates. This in turn improves prospects for lifelong health, educational attainment and economic opportunity. SBHCs:
- Increase attendance by providing services on campus so students miss less class time for appointments and illness.
- Reduce barriers to learning by improving student health with preventive care, chronic care, and early interventions in students’ physical, mental and developmental health.
- Increase school connectedness by providing mental health services and coordinating with other student support services in the school.
- Engage parents and community by providing information and services for the physical and emotional development of their children.
- Save parents and employers time by allowing students to stay in school to get their health care needs met.
- Support teachers and school staff by coordinating to support individual students and helping with health promotion and education schoolwide.
- Lower health care costs by reducing emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
Resources from the national School-Based Health Alliance: