School-based/school-linked health centers expanding points of access.
Health providers and leaders in urban Milwaukee collectively acted to expand school-based health services to children attending Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). This School-Based/School-Linked Health Centers' (SB/SLHCs) Collaboration was initiated to increase points of access for children, primarily to working-poor families, through mobilizing community resources among local leaders and statewide health systems. Systematic steps such as needs assessment, sharing data, seeking funds and prioritization of school-based sites facilitated the establishment of more than 30 additional SB/SLHCs. This has resulted in approximate 700% increase in school-based health care and health promotion services. This collaboration illustrates how communities and health care systems can effectively advocate and impact local services to benefit a population having high social risk factors. As welfare reform efforts evolve, SB/SLHCs have significantly advanced access to mainstream health services through effective local collaborations.
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Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014922:Wisconsin