COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Community Health Center of Branch County’s award winning School Telehealth program continues to lead the way in Michigan. It uses registered nurses and technology with the goal of reducing barriers to healthcare by linking youth to health and wellness services while they are at school.
The state program was launched in January 2014 at seven locations including in Coldwater and Bronson and then expanded the first year into Quincy in September. The nurses on site at the high schools provide a wide range of services and then if necessary, they tele-link to a physician or nurse practitioner at the CHC Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic.
Last year, a full time social worker was added at the Coldwater High School clinic as statistics show over 40% of the student needs can involve social and emotional health issues.
RN Kristin Smith, the Director of Patient Experience at CHC, is the grant administrator for the local telehealth program. She told the Coldwater Early Bird Exchange Club Wednesday that they hope to show adolescents, in a safe environment, how to speak up about their concerns and how to manage their own health care because before long they will be adults in our community.
According to Smith, many students prior to telehealth never went to anywhere else besides a pediatric practice with their parent. She says this allows the youth some independence and to be able to talk about real world things going on in adolescent’s lives today.
The Branch County telehealth program currently serves 12 to 21 year olds and has a goal to expand to Legg Middle School in Coldwater in 2019. Since it started, the clinics have seen over 11,000 students from the county for just nursing services and up to 4,000 have been linked to the CHC Pediatric Center.
Telehealth in Branch County is funded by state and federal grants, the United Way and Branch County Community Foundation and donations from the community.
