title: Health at school: a hidden health care system emerges from the shadows.
abstract: A vast array of child health professionals-99,000 counselors; 56,000 nurses; 30,000 school psychologists; 15,000 social workers; and smaller numbers of dental hygienists, dentists, physicians, and substance abuse counselors-provide care to children and adolescents at school. However, most thought leaders in child health know little about this "hidden" system of care or are skeptical about its capacity to contribute to children's well-being. Increased interest in prevention and chronic disease management, powered by escalating concern about childhood overweight, might end the isolation of school health programs and link them more effectively to community-based prevention programs and health care services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention and Community Health, School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. jgl@gwu.edu
authors.forename: Julia Graham
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lear
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011050:Policy Making; D012572:School Health Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States