New health clinic set to open

The school based health center sponsored by the Children’s Aid Society has now officially made its debut at Curtis. The clinic, which was carved out of the old ROTC room and S.O. Store near exit 5 (room 116), will feature a wide range of health care services. The center will focus on preventive care for medical and dental. It will also have a mental health component and will deal with students immediate health needs as well. According to the Children’s Aid Society, this will help students and families deal with health issues quickly and on campus and it will decrease health related absences. The center was scheduled to opened on October 15th but they had to wait for some last minute construction and is now scheduled to open Nov. 4.

Back in February, community school partner and CEO of the Children’s Aid Society, Richard Buery visited Curtis to speak to administrators about the health clinic, and said, “It all started with the leadership and us wanting to be a part of Dr. Curtis’ vision for the school.” The staff of the health center would be experienced professionals and available every weekday. The staff will consist of a physician, dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant,nurse practitioner, licensed practical nurse, medical assistant, health educator, and licensed clinical social workers. The medical will be present everyday while the dental staff will only be in every two to three times a week. The clinic will have 2 waiting areas, three exam rooms, a dental room, an intake reception, a health educa- tor room, two social worker rooms, and a restroom.

Adria Cruz, the director of the School Based Health Centers and Special Initiatives for the Children’s AidSociety, said “We weren’t really planning on opening another School Based Health Center, but we were so impressed by Dr. Curtis and Mr. Hepworth’s commitment to the school and the wellbeing of their students, that when they expressed interest in opening a SBHC at Curtis, our VP for Health and Wellness, Beverly Colon, a physician assistant by training who for many years was the on-site health provider at SBHCs in high schools, decided to help at least in connecting Dr. Curtis to another health provider in the borough.”

In those trips to the school she became very impressed with the student body and the incredible energy of positivity they exuded; when no other health provider was stepping up she said she’ll do it. We’ve been operating SBHCs for over 20 years and we know that the success of a school based health center depends a lot in the support it receives from the school faculty and community, and we knew that Curtis High School had a very special combination of a strong leader, a passionate faculty and a vibrant student body.