Babies' Milk Fund (BMF) Pediatric Care set up a school-linked health center in Bloom Middle School, located two blocks from BMF's Findlay Street Center in the West End. Data show that school-age children, especially "at-risk" children, often do not receive regular preventative care or timely treatment for acute illnesses. A certified pediatric nurse practitioner works at Bloom Middle School for 15 hours a week in collaboration with the pediatrician at the Findlay Street Center. Because of the school-linked health center, BMF was able to improve access to care and impact the health and school attendance of Bloom students.

The school-linked health center also worked with other service providers of the Bloom Bridge Program to provide families with comprehensive health and social services. Family Services provided counseling and case management and Seven Hills offered parent support. There were 924 health visits to the Bloom center during the year. Over 100 acute illnesses were treated, and an average of three children a day were able to remain in school due to services provided by the Bloom Middle School school-linked health center.

BMF Pediatric Care, in collaboration with the West End Health Center, successfully completed a comprehensive planning project to assess the health care needs of children attending Heberle, Bloom and Hays/Porter/Washburn schools n the West End. The project resulted in a plan to enhance access to care which was submitted to the Health Foundation for an implementation grant. The implementation grant was funded and start-up of the West End School Health Collaborative began in January 2001.

The planning project advisor committee was comprised of health and service providers, principals, teachers, and parents. A Project Coordinator facilitated advisory committee meetings, oversaw parent, teacher, and provider surveys, conducted focus groups and took an inventory of services currently available at the three schools.

The project found that all three schools served a high percentage of children living at or below poverty; limited on-site health care services were available in the schools; parents and teachers identified behavioral health and dental as the greatest needs. The implementation plan calls for strengthening linkages with West End primary health care providers, expanding on-site medical school services and enhancing the coordination of medical, behavioral health and social services.

BMF Pediatric Care, in collaboration with the West End Health Center, was awarded a grant to start-up school linked health services in three schools in the West End. BMF will specifically be linked to Heberle Elementary and Bloom Middle School. Both schools are within walking distance of BMF's Findlay Street Clinic. The West End Health Center will link with Hays/Porter/Washburn, which is in close proximity to their center.

The West End School Health Collaborative (WESHC) will expand the availability of on-site health services (Bloom Middle School currently has no health services) by contracting with the Cincinnati Health Department for RN services. The program will also add a health clerk to each school; implement a Fast Track program where children with acute illnesses may be seen at BMF or West End Health Center; and will add a "floating" Nurse Practitioner to provide well-child exams and on-site acute illness services, as needed.

The program in each school will be monitored by an interdisciplinary team comprised of various service providers in the school. the Cincinnati Health Department RN, and BMF and/or WEHC staff. The overall program will be guided by an advisory committee, comprised of many of the same individuals who worked on the planning committee--principles, community health and social service providers, and parents.