Governor Proclaims February 19-25 a Statewide Celebration on NC School Health Centers:

Thousands in North Carolina and Across the Country Celebrate School-Based Health Care

In February’s National School-Based Health Care Awareness Month

 Governor Beverly Purdue has issued a proclamation that sets aside February 19-25, 2012, as North Carolina School Community Health Alliance week.  North Carolina and the Mobile Expanded School Health (MESH) in Wilkes are joining communities across the nation to celebrate National School-Based Health Care Awareness Month, by highlighting stories and health care outcomes that represent the work of more than 1,900 school-based health centers across the country.  SBHCs work to provide access to primary medical care, mental health services, preventive care, social services, and youth development to nearly 2 million of our nation’s children and adolescents.

The Governor states that school health centers “Provide the physical and mental health care that is critical to the overall well-being of youth in North Carolina. Optimal physical and mental health of students leads to optimal academic achievement.”  The centers also positively impact the economy by reducing emergency room visits, by decreasing parental absences from work, and by increasing early identification and treatment of disease, thus preventing more expensive treatment at a later date.

The theme of 2012 National School-Based Health Care Awareness Month is Sharing our Stories. MESH,  the North Carolina School Community Health Alliance, the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC), and their partners are sharing stories of the tremendous impact school-based health care has on our nation’s youth, stories like this:

MESH (Mobile Expanded School Health) visits all the high schools on a weekly basis in Wilkes County. The staff sees on average 13-18 students per day. By caring for these students on-site at the school, students do not miss valuable classroom time. MESH provides services to approximately 1300 students per school year.

Recent research confirms the obvious: poor health affects educational achievement. But, it also shows that school-based health care can provide a solution:

• Students who visit school-based health centers two times a semester are a third less likely to drop out of school.
• Students who use school-based health centers have higher grade point averages and attendance compared to students who don’t use them.
• High school students had a 50% decrease in absenteeism and 25% decrease in tardiness two months after receiving school-based mental health counseling.

“The future of our community depends on having healthy and successful students – and MESH plays an important role in that,” said Ann Absher, Health Director of Wilkes County Health Department.

For more information please contact Melissa Black, Outreach Nursing Supervisor, 336-651-7469 or e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it