School-based health clinic open in Pulaski County

PULASKI COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Pulaski County Public Schools partnered with the Community Health Center of the New River Valley to launch a school-based health center at Pulaski County High School.

“By us being here in the school, the kids can be seen here by our dentist, by our hygienist, or by our medical provider without ever leaving school,” School Program Manager Erika Slagel-Perry said.

The center provides on-site medical and dental care to students and staff of PCPS.

“We can treat chronic conditions, we see a lot of sick visits, think flu, COVID, strep,” Slagel-Perry said. “We do annual physicals, well child physicals, but our aim is not to replace the students’ primary care provider.”

“They’re a really great opportunity to really increase health in the community,” Pediatrician and Internist Dr. Megan Thomas said. “We know that keeping kids healthy and keeps them in school keeps them learning.”

The Community Health Center will host a community wide open house March 16 from 4-7 p.m. for people to see the new clinic and learn about its services. PCPS students and staff can see the clinic from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. March 16.

“I think one of the other pieces that really makes us really successful is we have a really fantastic team from our dental team with our hygienists and dentists to also our medical team, which consists of myself as the pediatrician, but also a pediatric nurse practitioner and a family nurse practitioner,” Dr. Thomas said.