The Louisiana Assembly on School Based Health Care (LASBHC) promotes the health
and academic success of students and the economic development of communities by
increasing access to quality healthcare and support services provided by school
health centers. LASBHC pursues this mission by advocating public policies that
support school-based health centers. We build support among policy makers at the
national, state and local levels for sustainability of existing sites and expansion of
the SBHC model. We educate students, parents and community leaders to the
mission of school-based health centers and use their input to create more responsive
facilities. And we bring technical expertise to new and established centers to
maximize their impact.
LASBHC is a non-profit, membership organization. Membership includes staff from
all Louisiana’s school based health centers as well as other individuals and
organizations that support school based health care.
About School-Based Health Centers in Louisiana:
There is nothing more basic to a child's ability to succeed in school and life than good
health. Yet physical and emotional problems often make learning impossible. The
cost to the future of these children—and to the future of our state —is incalculable.
Preventing this waste of potentially productive lives requires ongoing action on a
variety of fronts, including the continuing expansion of preventative health care for
the lower income Louisianans whose children are at highest risk.
Even when families have access to health insurance coverage, preventative care or
timely care for acute illness is not always easy to achieve. Parents often can't afford
time off from work to take a sick child to a doctor. Louisiana suffers from an uneven
distribution of physicians and other health professionals throughout the state. Poor
transportation services in many areas and problems in navigating the health care
system itself only add to the problem.
How Do School-Based Health Care Centers Fit In?
School-based health centers (SBHC) are an important statewide resource helping to
address the health care needs of underserved and uninsured children. School-based
sites provide needed preventative, diagnostic and treatment services, including
direct primary and mental health care for acute and chronic illnesses, health
education, case management assistance and immunizations. They also provide vital
counseling for more recently understood health care concerns that have replaced
infectious diseases as the major ailments of childhood. These include such risk factors
as childhood obesity, smoking, substance abuse, violence and safety issues, as well as
behavioral problems ranging from mild to severe.
Staffing patterns vary, but typically include nurse practitioners, nurses and mental
health care providers as well as part-time physicians. Lab facilities for routine tests
are often on site. In short, students can access nearly any healthcare service in an
SBHC that they can receive in a general practitioner’s office. There is never a direct
cost to families for these services.
Parental consent is required for students to enroll for center services.
Who We Are...
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