CVHS to Add On-Campus Health Clinic
Castro Valley High School could open an onsite health clinic as soon as August of this year, according to a plan laid out to the District at last Wednesday's Board of Trustees meeting.
The clinic would allow students and the public to receive healthcare such as physical exams, sports physicals, immunizations and boosters, pharmacy prescriptions, reproductive health services, and referrals for dental and mental health services. The clinic would be run through a partnership with the Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center (TVHC), which also operates school-based health centers at Tennyson High, Hayward High, and Logan High Schools.
"Many students are coming into our health office and asking for these types of services, but we currently have to send them off campus for them to get the health services they need," said Marian Meadows, Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) behavioral health services coordinator.
The plan is to convert the two portable offices that used to house the previous Wellness Center between the 500 hall and F-wing buildings at the northwest end of campus. The portables, accessible at Santa Maria Avenue, are already outfitted as a health clinic space but need facility upgrades, Meadows added.
For its part, CVUSD will provide custodial services, ground-keeping maintenance as well as campus supervision. The clinic would have on-campus access for students during the school day with limited access for the community after school and on weekends.
Student confidentiality, parent engagement, referral processes, and other services will be coordinated between the clinic, the CVHS Health Office, and the CVHS Wellness Center.
"The clinic would have a family practitioner, a receptionist, and a health educator on-site with one or two examination rooms," Katheryn Horner, Chief Operations Officer for TVHC, told the Forum. "We have a lot of experience in serving the community's health needs, and we're happy to be partnering with Castro Valley."
Since 1971, TVHC has provided medical, dental, and mental health care, youth health services, community health education, family support services, and Women Infants & Children (WIC) nutrition services to low-income, limited English proficient, uninsured, and publicly insured patients. TVHC would handle all of the insurance processing.
"Some 37 percent of our student population in the district qualify for Medi-Cal. The services are also available to those who do not have Medi-Cal," said CVUSD Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi.
The idea to bring a health clinic to the high school started back in 2015 when a few district trustees began reaching out to the TVHC team. The COVID pandemic highlighted the need for community access to immunizations, testing, and increased on-site health care for students and families.
During the rest of March and April, the District will roll out the plan to the Wellness Council, CVHS PTA, and other school health leaders. Student focus groups are expected to give their feedback in May. Those recommendations, along with the planning phase, are expected to take place in June and July, with an opening of the Clinic in August.