These services promise to provide great relief for families where children are bused to school each day from points far and wide. “Our school district covers 500 square miles,” reports Dufur school nurse Kamala Malcolm, the driving force behind creating the new facility. She also speaks to the student population’s great economic diversity. “We have everything from wheat and cow farmers to populations without running water or electricity.” This combination means that most everyone in Dufur faces some kind of barrier to timely health care. Some families have no insurance, many are on Medicaid. But even the wealthiest, most-resourced families still need to drive at least 15 miles to The Dalles for higher levels of care, resulting in school absences and lost workdays. “Even if you have a primary care provider, it can take up to two months to get a doctor’s appointment,” laments Hinman. “This is an easy way to get a simple sports physical or quick appointment and not have to mess with getting seen by your primary care provider.” Hinman stresses that records will be seamlessly shared with those PCPs. Offering mental health supports will also be a big part of the clinic’s mandate. While logistics are still in the works, Malcolm is planning for one full-time behavioral-health consultant to be available one day a week. This counselor can provide talk therapy and coordinate with other providers and families to make sure kids, their families and staff have access to care. There will also be a nurse practitioner on staff who can prescribe anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication. It’s a big leap in the right direction. “We have strong evidence that students are more likely to go to a school-based health clinic for mental health care than any other kind of counselor,” reports Hinman, citing a 2018 study of Oregon schools. “It shows that adolescents are 10 to 21 times more likely to get mental health services at a schoolbased health center and youth that receive those services are 12% less likely report depressive episodes, 16% less likely to report suicidal ideation and 18% less likely to report a suicide attempt.” Dufur School superintendent Jack Henderson helped secure funding for the health center. Dufur School’s new health clinic will have an on-site lab. PHOTOS BY JASON E. KAPLAN 22
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