The Natchitoches Parish School Board approved the transportation of students to Outpatient Medical Center for dental care at its meeting Feb. 8.

At the committee meeting Feb. 6, Carl Walters, OMC’s Chief Executive Officer, gave board members an update on the school based health center that services LP Vaughn and the Natchitoches Jr. High. He was joined by the center’s Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Mary Lancaster and Site Director Ruby Mitchell.

Since the center opened Nov. 27, there’s been a decrease in student and staff absences. It’s also helped parents stop missing work and decreased unnecessary hospital emergency and urgent care visits.

The center is funded through a 3 year grant form the Rapides Foundation, which allows MOC to provide immediate on-site medical relief. The goal is to have a self sustaining center once the grant ends and Walters said he is confident they will achieve this.

The center opened and started seeing 2-4 patients per day. It is currently seeing 8-10 patients per day. The staff is encouraging more staff to use the center. It needs to see 20-25 patients per day to reach its goal of being self-sustaining once the grant runs out.

“We’re not here to take away any school nurse jobs,” said Walters. “ We’re working in partnership with them to make sure kids receive the medical care they deserve. We’re also not trying to take patients away from their primary care clinicians. We’re simply there when and where you need us. We accept all insurances, but will see any patients regardless of their ability to pay. I appreciate Skinner’s support in finding innovative and creative means to ensure the students are taken care of.”

Transportation of the students to OMC for dental care will occur one day a week. The transportation itself will cost the district a bit of money, but is worth it to keep students healthy so they can continue advancing in their education.

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