Investigator: Section 5

For this section I decided to investigate the use of dental or doctor offices in the public school setting. I found it very interesting that in Miranda’s school there was a whole dentist’s office set up. I’ve heard many times of doctors or dentists visiting schools to have one day when they perform checkups on students who need them, but I was surprised to know there was an entire office devoted to this at Miranda’s school. While looking at the New York City schools website, I learned that many schools in the city do host dental clinics with services ranging from cleanings to orthodontics. What I found myself more intrigued by, however, was the creation of School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) at 123 NYC public schools. The SBHC is essentially a complete doctor’s office on school property. These centers can serve as the student’s primary doctor or can simply serve as a first-responder to an illness when the child is at school. Depending on the SBHC, services provided may extend to include optometry, mental health, reproductive health services (high school only), and dental care. As long as a student is enrolled in NYC public schools and a parent has signed permission for him/her to participate in the SBHC, he/she will receive treatment regardless of insurance or immigration status. Assistance is offered, however, to help SBHC patients obtain low-cost public insurance. The benefits of SBHCs in public schools are decreased absenteeism and students who are healthy and better able to learn.