Documentary: How School-Based Health Care Helps Children

A growing body of research shows that the healthier a child is, the better the child is likely to do in school. On the other hand, a child who misses a significant amount of class time because of illness is less likely to graduate from high school than a healthy peer.

Health systems and school districts throughout Ohio have partnered on “school-based health care,” an effort to bring medical and other wellness services into schools for children who might not otherwise receive them. Those students can be cared for by a provider at school without missing class (or without a parent needing to take time off work for an appointment).

The school-based efforts have been shown to have a wide range of benefits, including reducing absenteeism and emergency department visits.

A documentary, from Regional Education Laboratory Midwest and WVIZ/PBS ideastream, covers a number of school-based health care strategies in Ohio. The Nationwide Children’s initiative, called Care Connection, is highlighted for its efforts in school-based asthma therapy and reproductive health education. With school-based asthma therapy alone, Care Connection is in more than 250 schools across more than 30 districts.