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Health Center Still Accepting Student Patients
The district's Student-Based Health Center (SBHC) is still accepting new patients as student enrollment continues to steadily increase in the only SBHC in Dutchess County located in Eugene Brooks Intermediate and Webutuck High schools.
There are about 270 Webutuck district students enrolled in the SBHC that is part of the Open Door Family Health Center, which opened at Webutuck in the summer of 2022. Webutuck’s three schools have about 670 students enrolled.
“Anything that would be happening in a primary care office, we’re doing right in our primary care office,” said Lindsay Neptune, a nurse practitioner and director of SBHC Clinical Services.
The center, one of 270 SHBCs in New York State, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Angela Sinon is the nurse practitioner serving students in the center.
“It’s almost like they’re part of our district even though they’re a separate entity,” said EBIS Principal Matthew Pascale. “They’ve really assimilated quite well. Our kids feel right at home and very comfortable with the professionals.
“The folks who were responsible for putting it together and bringing the initiative to our doorstep here, really gave the district a boost.”
The center offers numerous services to district students such as comprehensive physical health assessments, immunizations, routine management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma, diagnosis and treatment of acute illnesses and chronic conditions, physicals for working papers and sports physicals.
Students with health insurance are not charged a co-pay, and students without health insurance are treated and connected with insurance outreach specialists, who will assist a student in obtaining health insurance.
Students are benefitting from the center as well as their parents, who no longer need to take a vacation or personal day to have their children receive primary care. If a student is ill and needs to go home, they may be treated at the center with a prescription sent to a pharmacy before the parent picks up the student.
“Kids are already in school, so kids can receive their primary care in school,” said Neptune. “The parents, it takes a huge burden off of them. So much of what we can do, we can do over the phone with the parents. They don’t have to miss work. They don’t have to take a vacation day or sick day, and take them to a doctor or a lab.”