What is a School-Based Health Center?
School-Based Health Centers (SBHC) have been providing on-site primary care to students for over 20 years. There are 122 SBHCs serving approximately 230 schools in the five boroughs. For the list of all the SBHCs in NYC (updated 08/2008) please click here. A SBHC is like a doctor’s office inside a school. They are usually located in areas with limited access to health care services. A SBHC fulfills three functions in a school:
1. Primary care and preventive health services including (a) comprehensive physical examinations; (b) immunizations; (c) TB testing; and d) screening, diagnosis, and treatment of medical conditions.
2. First aid care to all students registered in the building
3. Emergency care to anyone in need on school premises.
School-Based Health Centers are usually staffed by a multi-disciplinary team, which may include a Health Aide, Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Mental Health Professional, Physician, and Medical Assistant. A Medical Assistant acts as an aide to the Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant. Some SBHCs provide additional services such as mental health care, optometry services, and dental care. Often, SBHC staff participate in their school’s health education programs. If a service is not directly provided by the SBHC, the staff may refer students to outside specialists when needed.
The SBHC can serve as a student's Primary Care Provider (PCP) or complement services provided by an outside PCP. It provides scheduled and walk-in services when school is in session and 24-hour telephone coverage to assist with problems that may arise when the SBHC is closed. Many SBHCs are opened during holiday periods and over the summer. SBHCs can provide care only for students who are enrolled; therefore, it is important for every student in the school to be registered at the SBHC. To receive SBHC services, parents must sign a Parental Consent Form . This form is available at the SBHC and also as a download:
Parental Consent Form Grades PK-8 (English)
This Form is also available in Arabic | Bengali | Chinese | Haitian-Creole | Korean | Russian | Spanish | Urdu
Parental Consent Form Grades 9-12 (English)
This Form is also available in Arabic | Bengali | Chinese | Haitian-Creole | Korean | Russian | Spanish | Urdu
SBHCs care for students regardless of insurance status; however, it is important for parents to provide to the SBHC any medical insurance information that their child/ren may have when they are enrolled. This information helps the SBHC to bill insurance companies, such as Medicaid, or private insurance companies, for the care they provide. If a child is not insured, the SBHC may be able to help the child and his or her family to obtain public health insurance for free or at low cost. SBHCs do not bill students or parents for the care they receive.
Operated by independent institutions, usually local hospitals or community-based organizations, the SBHC medical staff are not DOE employees. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) oversees the performance of all SBHC’s to assure that they are providing high-quality care. For NYSDOH information on School-Based Health Centers please click here. While SBHCs work closely with the principal and other school staff members, individual student records are confidential under HIPAA regulations and information can not be shared with school staff without parental consent. Exceptions to this rule include immunization information and DOE and public health forms.
Click on the appropriate link below for more information about School-Based Health Centers:
Health Care Service Providers
Principals
Parents
If you have any questions please contact Marcelo De Stefano at 212-374-2318 or mdestefano4@schools.nyc.gov