Grant funds Lynn school health centers

LYNN – The Department of Health and Human services last week announced that the Lynn Community Health Center will receive a grant of $499,866 to make improvements to school-based health centers.The health centers in Lynn Classical High School, Lynn English High School, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, Breed Middle School, Marshall Middle School and Ingalls Elementary School provide health care during the school day for the students.?They act like a regular doctor would,” said Assistant Director of Curriculum K-12 Health and Physical Education Dennis Thompson. “If a kid is sick or needs a physical they can take care of all that.”?The Lynn Community Health Center is helping to keep our local children healthy and in school,” said U.S. Rep. John Tierney in a press release. “This federal grant will strengthen the already high quality work that the staff and volunteers at the health center are providing our families. Ensuring top notch school-based health care is a top priority for local parents, schools and our entire community.”Services like STD screening, health education, dental services, reproductive counseling, nutrition counseling, lab testing and eye services are offered along with primary medical care.?In Lynn?s case these health centers are critical because of the demands of our demographics,” Thompson said. “A lot of our kids have difficultly getting to a regular doctor. The health centers provide them with regular access to what they need.”With the grant, LCHC will improve the appearance of the health centers in the schools. Some of the renovations will include an installation of an HVAS system to improve the air quality. They also plan on painting the walls and to repair cracked and stained flooring.Many are excited about the grant and what this means for the health centers and the students who use them.?Students and their families rely on our school-based health centers,” said LCHC Executive Director Lori Abrams Berry in a press release. “Our staff are there to help students with health and mental health problems, improving their ability to do well in school. Capital improvements to these facilities will expand our capacity to serve more students. They will also become move inviting, welcoming spaces, encouraging more students and parents to utilize these important and needed services.”?It is an unbelievable resource,” Thompson said. “The nurses and staff do a phenomenal job.”