School-Based Health Clinics
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - If you live in West Philly in the vicinity of 58th and Walnut Streets and have a medical problem, you're in luck. The Dr. Bernett Johnson Sayre Health Center is located at Sayre High School, serving the community with a special emphasis on obesity, often a problem in low income neighborhoods.
The Center at Sayre is unique. While it began as a Preventive Health Initiative, with only 15.8% of those over 25 high school graduates, education has become a large part of its mission. With support from the University of Pennsylvania, students in grades 9- 12 receive exposure to health professions, mentoring, healthy cooking classes, internships, career advice, hospital and college life plus help with college applications and more.
School-based clinics are not new; there are others in Philadelphia and Colorado is moving ahead with clinics statewide. However, Sayre's four year program encouraging students to consider healthcare as a career and its college access program are a good model, steering young people to fields where there are jobs.
Reported By Dr. Marciene Mattleman, KYW Newsradio
