Dublin City Schools cuts ribbon on state’s newest School-Based Health Center

The Dublin City Schools held a ribbon cutting Tuesday at Irish Healthcare, the newest of Georgia’s School-Based Health Centers program clinics to open across the state in districts with a large number of impoverished students. 

“I applaud you for the enormous effort that went into this,” said Dr. Veda Johnson of Emory University, the program’s director. “To come up with a strategy to meet the needs of the children is the No. 1 goal. These centers are a reflection of the community. … You know what you need.”

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. 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.

Johnson has worked with the School-Based Health Centers program since its inception 30 years ago. Until 10 years ago, the state had just two centers. That number has grown to around 125 since, boostmost recently by $125 million allocated to the program two years ago by Gov. Brian Kemp.

“This is our newest and probably the grandest to open this year,” Johnson said.

The Moore Street clinic started seeing students and staff at the end of October. By the holiday break in mid-December, it already had seen 300 patients.

So much for a soft opening.

“You have to go where the children are,” said Johnson. “The idea is to maximize their health and well-being so they can learn.” 

Dr. Berrien Waters and the Medical Center are the Irish Healthcare’s medical sponsor. Waters admitted he did not know what a school-based health center was until he was
approached about the project.

“We are very excited to partner with the Dublin City Schools to make this clinic a success. This is an opportunity to meet our patients where they are,” Waters said.  “This facility is fantastic. They really did a great job with design and decor, and making it functional.”

Waters said he and the Medical Center are committed to making the health center a “long-term asset to the community and the students.”

Johnson said part of her job for the past three decades has been to find pediatricians and family practitioners to sign on to the program as sponsors.

“That has probably been my biggest disappointment, until Dr. Waters came along,” she said.

Ruth Ellis, program specialist with School Based Health Centers, said she began working with Tonia Spaulding, director of well-being and health, and other school officials after the system was awarded a planning grant in 2022, and then after the governor awarded funding to pay for the renovation and medical sponsorship. The local health center has 21 network partners and a 21-member advisory board.

“It has been a wonderful coming together of all the sponsors to bring this to fruition,” Ellis said.

She said having Waters and the Medical Center as sponsors positions the Dublin clinic to “rise above the regular health center.”

After the ceremony, the center, which also includes its own lab, was opened for group tours. School board chairman Kenny Walters, who greeted visitors in the foyer, described the school-based health center as “very needed.” He said the grants should fund the health center for the next three years.

“It’s another example of the Dublin school system serving the whole child, whether it’s this or feeding them during the summer,” Walters said. “The support we received from the Medical Center has been unbelievable. It’s been more than I could have dreamed of.”

Most school-based health centers attempt to collect payment through Medicaid or a patient’s insurance, but usually do not turn away patients because of their inability to pay.