News
Whittier Street Health Center Offers School-Based Health Services
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Nicole Joy Hales, PRfirst, 617-947-7983, nhales@prfirst.com
Whittier Street Health Center Offers School-Based Health Services
BOSTON, MA, ISSUED APRIL 28, 2023…In response to a need for accessible and culturally competent health care delivered directly to local students, Whittier Street Health Center, a community health center with a mission to serve as a center of excellence that provides high quality and accessible health care and social services that achieve health equity, social justice, and the economic well-being of a diverse patient population, offers its School-Based Health Services program.
The program’s services address the medical and mental health problems that frequently interfere with students’ academic success. Under the supervision of the Center’s medical director and lead pediatrician, the school-based services include routine and preventative care, such as pediatric well visits, health education, and oral health calls.
In addition, the team conducts health screenings for early detection and prevention of chronic conditions such as weight issues, diabetes, blood pressure, vision, depression, and substance misuse.
Whittier currently has six school-based health center including clinics at the Boston Day and Evening Academy, Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School, and Dearborn STEM Academy. Those wishing to schedule an appointment for their child or are interested in learning more about the school-based services available are asked to contact the team at schoolbasedhealthcenters@wshc.org or 617-989-3212.
“We offer many types of healthcare and social services, in many different settings including our clinics, mobile health vans, and school-based clinics,” said Frederica M. Williams, president and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center. “To reach as many young people as possible, we partner with schools to provide culturally sensitive and high-quality care for students from divers backgrounds. We currently have partnerships with six schools already and we just opened a new health clinic onsite at Boston Day and Evening Academy.
“Research tells us that when we integrate health services into the academic environment, we help young people stay in school, cope with stressors, and learn to value their own health and well-being,” Williams continued. “Beyond supporting the educational development of children and adolescents, schools play a critical role in addressing racial and social equity.”
About Whittier Street Health Center
Whittier Street Health Center is an independently licensed community health care center with a mission of providing high quality, reliable and accessible primary healthcare for diverse populations while promoting wellness and eliminating health and social disparities. A champion of equitable access to high quality, patient-focused care, social justice and economic equity, Whittier Street Health Center is accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC), certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, and recognized by the NCQA for its Behavioral Health Integration. Through its locations in Roxbury and North Dorchester, and its Mobile Health Van program, Whittier Street Health Center serves more than 30,000 patients and 20,000 community outreach visits annually; its ethnically and racially diverse patient base is primarily made up of individuals from Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, the South End and greater Boston. Approximately 28% of Whittier’s patients are uninsured. Whittier Street Health Center provides a comprehensive array of 40 healthcare programs and services designed to meet the primary health care, behavioral health, and social needs of the community. For more information, please visit www.wshc.org as well as Facebook (www.facebook.com/WhittierStreetHealthCenter), Twitter (@Whittier_Boston), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/whittier-street-health-center), or call 617-989-3221.