Celebrating 10 Years of School Based Health Centers in Brewer
We are pleased to announce that the Brewer School-Based Health Centers recently celebrated 10 years of service with a May 24th open house and enrollment event for Brewer students and their parents, as well as Brewer city officials, with guest speaker Kevin Mannix who spoke about shame, mental illness, and his new book Weathering Shame. The Brewer School-Based Health Center (SBHC) was established in 2006 as a partnership between the Brewer School Department and Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC) to provide accessible medical, dental and mental health services to Brewer students in grades K-12. PCHC has practices in both the Brewer High School and the Brewer Community School.
Ken Schmidt, MPA, PCHC President and CEO, said “The dedicated and caring staff of PCHC’s Brewer School-Based Health Centers offer an important service to the students of the Brewer School System by providing high-quality care that is accessible, patient-centered, and convenient. We are proud to work in partnership with Brewer Schools for ten years helping hundreds of students.”
Treatment provided at Brewer SBHC is intended to supplement care from students’ primary care providers, though the school can also serve as primary care provider for any student who needs one. In the last ten years, Brewer School Health Center students had 6,412 medical visits, 6,079 mental health counseling visits, and 1, 036 dental visits. At Brewer SBHC, sick children can receive immediate medical care when needed, without the need of the parent to leave work.
Lisa Bergmark, PA-C, Brewer School-Based Health Center Physician Assistant states, “I am honored and humbled to be part of such a wonderful mission, and I look forward to growing this practice and helping more families in the years to come.”
Brewer Schools Superintendent, Cheri Towle, added “The 10-year celebration was a time to remember all the great health benefits we provide our children in the Brewer School Department. PCHC and the Brewer School Department have worked in collaboration to help all students get their physical, dental and mental health needs met. It’s a wonderful way to support education as healthy kids are ready and able to learn!”
Not only are the services convenient and affordable, data from the National Assembly on School Based Health Care (NASBHC) demonstrates that “School Health Centers provide an optimal setting to foster learning readiness and academic achievement while giving children the resources they need to improve their health.” Students who use school-based health center services have better attendance and are less likely to drop out of school compared to students who do not use them.
The Student Health Center staff consists of an experienced certified physician assistant, dental hygienist, licensed therapists, and a medical assistant. Although the school nurse and guidance counselors are not members of PCHC’s School Based Health Center staff, they work closely with the team to coordinate student referrals to the clinic and assist with follow-up as needed.
To learn more about Brewer School Based Health Center services or to enroll your Brewer student, please call the practice at Brewer High School at 207-992-2456 or Brewer Community School at 207-992-2393.