Dublin City looking for new provider for school clinic

Dublin City Schools is working on an agreement with an area nonprofit to take over as medical sponsor of the Irish Healthcare clinic at Moore Street School.

The clinic opened in February 2025 after Dublin City received almost $1 million in grants for the clinic, one of more than 125 in School-Based Health Centers program.

Dr. Berrien Waters and the Medical Center have been the Irish Healthcare’s medical sponsor since its inception, but Waters’ office no longer has the staffing needed to continue, interim Superintendent Marcee Pool told the school board last week. 

“Dr. Waters and his team have done a fantastic job of laying groundwork for the success of the program,'” said school nurse Trini  Stevenson. “We can’t thank them enough.”

The center has a been a valuable asset for students, allowing them to receive care that otherwise might be “delayed, avoided or totally neglected,” Stevenson said. The center already has received about 1,000 visits this school year alone.

That number caught the attention of Jason Powell, chief financial officer for Community Health Care Systems, a Tennille-based nonprofit organization that wants to step in as medical sponsor here. 

Community Health operates a half-dozen of the state’s school-based health centers. Those six school clinics have seen a combined 1,500 patient visits this school year. Powell called the patient visit volume at Irish Healthcare “a dream come true.”

The Dublin school system was one of dozens of systems awarded grants of up to $1 million per project to support the planning and start-up of new school-based health centers across Georgia. The city schools received $308,000 to renovate classrooms at Moore Street School into waiting and exam rooms, as well as $682,000 for staffing, equipment, supplies and transportation.

The grants were expected to fund the Dublin center for three years.

Community Health operates 18 locations. Its first school center was opened in 2016 in Johnson County, where it still serves as medical sponsor.

“When we start in a school center, we never leave that school system,” said Powell.

Community Health would charge patients on a sliding fee scale, according to ability to pay, with fees as low as $25 per visit, no matter what services are provided. The organization has its own pharmacy but also maintains partnerships with Walgreen’s, Walmart and Kroger here in Dublin, where Community Health already has a clinic on Fairview Park Drive.

Powell said Community Health has provided more than 3,0000 physicals for students this year, at no cost. He said the organization writes off some charges, works with patients on payment arrangements, “whatever needs to be done.”

“Our goal is to eliminate any barriers that are out there,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of kids who can’t afford to go to the doctor.” 

Pool said the district is still working out details of a memorandum of agreement with the organization, which when finished will be presented to the school board for approval.

In other business, the school board:

• Heard a pledge from Jackie Curtis, executive director of the regional Communities in Schools of Georgia, who said the organization plans to donate $100,000 to the Dublin City Schools for its summer programs.

• Approved a low bid of $81,000 from Georgia Gym Floors to strip, wax and finish the gym floors at Dublin High, Dublin Middle and Susie Dasher Elementary schools. School maintenance staff will perform the maintenance at Hillcrest, Moore Street and the Irish Gifted Academy.

• Heard from Moore Street School principal Catina Puckett, who highlighted some of the recent work and accomplishments at the alternative school. The school has served 109 students this school year, with 69 currently enrolled, with two pending. 

The school will graduate 17 students this year, while 12 members of Dublin High School’s class of 2026 are former Moore Street students.

“That means Moore Street did exactly what it was supposed to do,” Puckett said.

  Also, three Irish Gifted Academy students attended Moore Street and “got back on track and returned to IGA,” she said.

Puckett praised her staff’s efforts, especially in light of midyear staff reductions due to financial issues.

“What we do at Moore Street is trench work. We don’t stand on the sidelines and shout instructions.” 

• Approved the following personnel moves:

– Resignations: Carlos Hoре, teacher and head boys basketball coach, Dublin High; Hope Hope, teacher, DHS; Gary Morton, assistant principal, DMS; Donald Vandygriff, teacher, DHS; Julie McLendon, teacher, Irish Gifted Academy; Josh McLendon, teacher and head softball coach, DHS ; Wilson Brantley, accounting coordinator, Central Office; Dena Johnson, teacher, IGA; John Bryan, teacher, DHS; Hubert Dollar, teacher, DHS; Terri Williams, teacher, DHS; Dantaya Shephard, teacher, DHS; Michelle Carr, secretary, IGA; Brooke Naish, teacher, IGA;  Takeshia Thomas, director of Special Education, PreK and Student Support Services, Central Office

– New hires: Tim Brokoff, ROTC instructor, DHS; Syreeta Martin, paraprofessional, DMS; Lakesha Afolabi, substitute teacher , all locations; Jaime Mora, teacher, DMS; Rebekah White, teacher, IGA; Alesha Elbert-Nolan, counselor, DMS; Kim Wilder, paraprofessional, Susie Dasher Elementary; Shannon Green, human resources coordinator, Central Office

Transfers: Anthony Chatman, teacher, DMS to IGA; Deon Walker, teacher, Susie Dasher to IGA.