We strive to achieve health equity for the keiki and adolescents in our community, to support and help them thrive, recognizing that health is relevant to well-being and academic success. We aim to do this by meeting students where they spend the majority of their time – at school. By doing so, we are able to eliminate barriers to care such as transportation, parents’ time off from work, inadequate availability of appointments at a child’s PCP office, and lack of health insurance. We understand that social determinants of health influence health outcomes and are typically factors that cannot be controlled. To ease the burden on our families, we are here to connect them not only to integrated health services but also with community resources we have available, such as access to food, health insurance, and specialty care.
Maui’s first school-based health center opened in February 2024 at Kihei Elementary School. The team consists of a Family Nurse Practitioner, Medical Assistant, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Behavioral Health Community Health Worker. This integrated team connects families to on-site comprehensive care and community resources. Along with primary care services, our school-based health center will also expand access to vital behavioral health services – a field that is experiencing a shortage of providers, resulting in long wait times to consult with a specialist or having to resort to off-island care.
· Primary Care Services
· Well-Child Exams
· Sports Physicals
· Immunizations
· Sick Visits
· Routine Care Visits
· Behavioral Health Support
· Skills Development
· Play Therapy
· Social-Emotional Learning
· Community Resource Assistance
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We aim to meet students where they spend the majority of their time – at school. By doing so, we are able to eliminate barriers to care such as transportation, parents’ time off from work, inadequate availability of appointments & lack of health insurance.
We endeavor to reach our island’s most vulnerable keiki to ensure they receive the services they need so they have the ability to participate and learn in school, leading to improved health and positive educational outcomes.
Behavioral health concerns may begin in childhood and often go untreated for various reasons Our school-based health center seeks to identify these concerns to ensure our keiki stay on track to whole-person wellness and receive the help they need.
