Elwood School to Open Telehealth Clinic
(Image courtesy of Elwood Community School Corp.)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowElwood Community School Corp. will Tuesday morning open what it says is the first school-based telehealth clinic in Indiana, offering "virtual visits" with licensed healthcare providers. The Indiana Rural Health Association, which is partnering with several organizations throughout the state on the clinic, hopes to implement the program statewide. The collaboration includes Indianapolis-based Managed Health Services, Noblesville-based Aspire Indiana Inc. and St. Vincent Mercy in Elwood.
The IRHA says the clinic will give students access to a doctor without leaving school. The goal is to reduce the amount of time students spend out of their classrooms. It will treat students for issues ranging from cuts and rashes to pinkeye and strep throat. Aspire Indiana, which is also a partner in the clinic, will provide behavioral health services as well.
Indiana Rural School Clinic Network Program Manager Jenni Hill spoke with Inside INdiana Business last month about the clinic. At the time, she said Indiana trails other states in access to telehealth services for children, especially at the school level. She said, "Now that school nurse has this extra support system of a provider that they can connect with virtually to ensure that the child can get diagnosed if it’s beyond their scope of service."
The network plans to roll out similar clinics in Parke, Vermillion and southwest Jefferson counties, as well as Austin and Crothersville schools.
Elwood Intermediate School will officially open the clinic at 10:00 Tuesday morning. Representatives from the district, MHS, IRHA, Aspire Indiana and St. Vincent Mercy will take part in the ceremony, which will also include a demonstration of the teleheatlh equipment.
