BILLINGS - RiverStone Health unveiled a new school-based health center on Tuesday which aims to serve both students and staff at Billings Senior High School.
The clinic was funded through a $300,000 grant and will provide comprehensive care, including well-child checks, immunizations, treatment for illness, chronic disease management, sports physicals, and even a place to pick up medication.
RiverStone Health officials said the clinic will put a heavy emphasis on mental health as well.
It's the third school-based health center in the district. The other two are at Orchard Elementary School and Medicine Crow Middle School, so Senior High is the first center in a high school.
Billings Senior High Principal Shelli Strouf said she’s excited to see the health center benefit both students and staff with limited interruptions to their school day.
“It helps kids stay in class, helps teachers who are not having to go on to go to doctors," she said. "It is so convenient and is really an exciting opportunity for us to have it in school. We used to have to rely on nurses that come in and it's just very sporadic because they obviously were at the shortage of nurses in the school. So this clinic alleviates all of that worry and stress from students of how to get help.”
The clinic has been open since early November, and RiverStone said they are actively looking for future partnerships with other Billings schools.
