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by\u00a0ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong> SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 (MissionLocal.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/missionloca.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/JohnOConnellClinic.jpg\")
On a wet January evening, students from John O\u2019Connell High School trekked to the San Francisco Board of Education meeting, pleading for help. The high school had entered its second semester without a school nurse, due to staff shortages, a situation that meant even a scrape or two threatened students\u2019 ability to learn, students said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe get injured, but instead of getting medical attention, we get sent home,\u201d said Henry Cruz, then a junior at O\u2019Connell, speaking from a podium in-person at the Jan. 10 meeting. \u201cMy family doesn\u2019t have time to take me to get medical attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have missed almost 10 days\u201d of school, added another student, Danny Landaverde. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
No more. The district had hired a nurse for this year, but John O\u2019Connell has upped the ante: For the first time, O\u2019Connell opened a clinic staffed with physicians and nurses who can prescribe medicine and perform specific examinations \u2014 an uncommon resource among high schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The medical facility is thanks to Mission Neighborhood Health Center<\/a>, which will fund and run the health clinic on campus until at least June 2026, with permission and appreciation from the school district. Since the clinic opened Aug. 24, numerous students have already poked their heads in to check out the facility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m surprised about how many kids come, and are interested,\u201d said pediatrician Dr. Aarti Vala, dressed in blush scrubs and masked ahead of her Thursday student clinic shift. She credited John O\u2019Connell for \u201cgetting the word out.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI love my teenagers!\u201d Vala beamed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Subscribe to our daily newsletter<\/strong> and have the latest stories from Mission Local delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n A glance around the new clinic revealed familiar medical tools: An exam table, a dual height and weight scale, a fridge for vaccines. Students can request anything from treating sexually transmitted diseases to managing asthma to vaccinations, which are needed for several internships and will be required for in-school attendance in California starting next January<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All San Francisco public schools have a wellness center \u201cwhere students can access counselors, school social workers, nurses and other wellness staff,\u201d said district spokesperson Laura Dudnick. The Mission Neighborhood Health Center offers \u201ccomplementary\u201d care, Dudnick said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n About 90 percent of O\u2019Connell students have visited the Wellness Center at least once, Ryan said, and for years has been and continues to be <\/strong>many students\u2019 trusted health source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While John O\u2019Connell\u2019s Wellness Center has two therapists, a Wellness Coordinator, engagement staff, and now a nurse, the school was still limited in the care staff could provide, according to principal Susan Ryan. Often, center staff referred students to get treatment elsewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the clinic solved a common challenge at the high school: student physicals. Before hitting the court, student athletes need a doctor\u2019s sign-off. O\u2019Connell loaded students on a bus to request one at San Francisco General, said Ryan. \u201cIt was amazingly challenging.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, several students can \u2014 and have \u2014 received them at the new, on-campus clinic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For years, the Mission Neighborhood Health Center at 240 Shotwell St., a short walk from the high school, saw students referred by school staff itself, those who required more extensive care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But research has found geographical proximity to services improves health outcomes. While the main clinic is close to the school, sometimes \u201ceven a few blocks\u201d can be an obstacle to care, said Mission Neighborhood Health Center CEO Anna Robert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On-campus services are significant at a \u201ccommunity school\u201d like John O\u2019Connell, where students often spend the majority of their time. Many students rely on O\u2019Connell to address problems of homelessness, food insecurity and health. Data from local health collaboration Unidos en Salud<\/a> suggest the majority of their patients, most who are Latinx and many who are undocumented, don\u2019t have access to primary care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve noticed our students do access medical care from our nurse, however it\u2019s a limited amount of care that can be provided if you\u2019re not a physician,\u201d said Ryan. \u201cThis clinic could be that trusted medical source where you can go get good primary care.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, the ultimate goal is for the clinic to become a \u201cmedical home\u201d for students, especially those without primary care doctors. Eventually, the clinic may provide help to students\u2019 families, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During the nurse shortage, when O\u2019Connell staff discussed nascent clinic plans with former Mission Neighborhood Health Center CEO Brenda Storey, they realized the center and school\u2019s existing relationship would be a plus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was a no-brainer to move it forward and to see what more we could do here,\u201d said Jose Lopez, Mission Neighborhood Health Center\u2019s director of programs and HIV Services, who is heading the clinic rollout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond physical treatments and preventative care, Mission Neighborhood Health Center eventually wants to address other issues pertinent to adolescent health. Particularly, social media\u2019s role in teens\u2019 mental health, said Lopez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, mental health has always been a prominent issue, amplified especially in the wake of a recent alumnus\u2019 death: Damien Gonzalez<\/a>, an 18-year-old former student, was shot and killed<\/a> just blocks away from the school in August. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In that case, the Wellness Center swiftly organized a healing circle and resources for staff and students following the news. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Numerous studies show how a school-based health center reduces unwanted teenage pregnancy<\/a> and improves adolescents\u2019 access to mental health care<\/a>. Beginning in 2020, accidental overdose deaths among adolescents have increased<\/a> as they take drugs laced with fentanyl. Thus, it\u2019s important to offer resources for alcohol and drug addiction, too, Lopez said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Presently, students need to register with Mission Neighborhood Health Center to access the clinic. It runs Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings, but may soon be open all day and after school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe hope to support John O\u2019Connell in any way we can in healthcare,\u201d Robert said. \u201cWe\u2019re committed to being here. It\u2019s part of our mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>by GRIFFIN JONES<\/a><\/strong>MAY 22, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>by AMANDA MARTINEZ<\/a><\/strong>APRIL 25, 2010<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/a>by\u00a0GILARE ZADA<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0CHUQIN JIANG<\/a><\/strong>SEPTEMBER 14, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n annika.hom@missionlocal.com<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n REPORTER. Annika Hom is our inequality reporter through our partnership with Report for America. Annika was born and raised in the Bay Area. She previously interned at SF Weekly and the Boston Globe where she focused on local news and immigration. She is a proud Chinese and Filipina American. She has a twin brother that (contrary to soap opera tropes) is not evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow her on Twitter at @AnnikaHom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last year, students missed school for lack of healthcare by\u00a0ANNIKA HOM SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 (MissionLocal.org) On a wet January evening, students from John O\u2019Connell High School trekked to the San Francisco Board of Education meeting, pleading for help. The high school had entered its second semester without a school nurse,… Continue reading What does John O\u2019Connell\u2019s new clinic do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Health benefits for students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
READ:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Connell seniors build for the future in end-of-year exhibit<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Mission Neighborhood Centers turns 50<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n