The school-based health program Montefiore School Health Program (MSHP) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of its new health center inside I.S. 229 Dr. Roland Patterson Middle School, located at 275 Harlem River Park Bridge in the Bronx.
This health center will provide medical, mental, dental, vision and community health services to the 525 students at the school and the neighboring P.S. 274 The New American Academy. These services include immunizations and physicals, as well as treatment for and management of chronic illnesses like asthma and diabetes. MSHP’s services come at no cost to the students and their families and are available both in-person and virtually.
“This clinic is our first to launch with a newly developed nursing-led model which enables us to expand our comprehensive care services to more students in the borough,” MSHP Director and Albert Einstein College of Medicine Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Dr. Rosy Chhabra, PsyD, said.
Offering medical services to these kids, ranging from PreK to the eighth grade, is meant to help ensure they can better avoid health-related absences from school. The U.S. Department of Education estimated that during the 2022-2023 school year, over one in every four students in the country was absent for at least 18 school days.
School-based health centers like this also help to comfort families of these students, giving them better peace of mind that their children are getting much-needed care without having to worry about potentially taking time off from work to bring them to medical appointments.
“The inauguration of this new health center is a milestone for the Bronx community and will have a resounding impact on students and their families,” Congressman Adriano Espaillat said. “By supplying essential care and support to local students, this center will serve as a beacon of hope for their future success and achievement for many years to come.”
MSHP has seen a 40% reduction in students who go home sick from one of the 34 schools they serve. Such an impact reflects the critical role they play in ensuring students can remain in school and learn. MSHP has been providing essential healthcare services to schools for over 40 years. They have helped address numerous physical, social, emotional and environmental factors impacting students, empowering them to get much-needed support that will also help them in the classroom.
“With our new clinic at I.S. 229, we now offer care to more than 40,000 young learners, around one in four students across the Bronx,” Dr. Chhabra said. “We are delivering on our mission to build a strong foundation for children and set them up for a bright and healthy future.”
