Discover the New School-Based Health Center Now Open at SHS: Empowering Student Wellness!

EXPANDED SERVICE — Melissa Crabtree is a nurse practitioner at the school-based health center at Steubenville High School. — Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — The Steubenville City School District has improved its health facilities to care for students better.

CHANGE Inc. now has a school-based health center at Pugliese STEM Academy, right next to Steubenville High School. It’s open on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., welcoming both walk-ins and appointments. Here, students can access a range of services, from primary care to dental and mental health support.

“We began working with the school district in 2020,” said nurse practitioner Melissa Crabtree, “Initially, we were in the high school, but we moved to Pugliese STEM Academy. We’ve maintained our services and even added a dental clinic.”

Melissa also mentioned that the center has private exam rooms and a larger lab area, making it a more comprehensive health service spot for students district-wide.

“We also have a health center at Harding Middle School, and our providers visit elementary schools and the high school as needed,” she added.

The health center’s team at Steubenville High School includes medical assistant Angela Staffilino and licensed therapist Mikayla Zias. They even stay open during summer, though they close for major holidays. Services offered are extensive and include same-day urgent care, sports physicals, immunizations, health education, counseling, and nutrition guidance.

Dental services, available on Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment, cover oral screenings and preventive care. Mental health services address issues like anxiety, depression, anger management, and family conflicts, among others.

To enroll students, parents can get consent forms at the center or through school. These forms help provide necessary details about the child’s health conditions and care requirements. If a student already has a primary care provider, the health center will coordinate care with them for the student’s benefit. For those without a provider, the health center or Family Medical Care can step in as their medical home.

Funding for these centers comes from insurance, Medicaid, grants, and public funds. No student will be denied services due to financial reasons. Students can be billed if they have insurance, while those without may qualify for discounted services based on an assessment.

CHANGE Inc. operates ten school-based health centers across Jefferson, Hancock, and Brooke counties. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (740) 284-5712.