Dublin City Schools’ on-site clinic cuts absences, serves nearly 500 students

The Irish Health Clinic offers vaccines, physicals, and other medical services without students missing school.

DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Dublin schools have been working on methods, tactics and innovative resources to address the nationwide attendance epidemic. Most recently, the Dublin district opened an on-site health clinic that allows students to receive medical services without having to miss class.

Since opening in January, the clinic has served almost 500 students with critical services such as vaccines and physicals. The new on-site clinic has also decreased the number of student absences.

Director of Federal Programs La’Ronda Fleming says the clinic idea stemmed from calling parents and discovering that sick students didn’t have the proper medical resources.

“We had situations of students that weren’t able to come to school because of minor illnesses and things that, if we had them on campus, we could address that medical concern, give the students and families exactly what they needed, and then they could come to school and receive quality instruction that is so important for them to be successful,” Fleming said.

Fleming says data has shown that when a student doesn’t have the proper care, their education will be affected.

“And they do know that we have the Irish Health Clinic here that they can actually come to and receive that additional support, or the attention or treatment that they need. So, as a result of that, we’re seeing an increase in students being able to regularly attend school,” Fleming added.

Nurse practitioner Kate McCullers says the clinic offers services such as well-child exams, eye, ear, and dental care and sports physicals.

“The kids have missed less class, and we’re able to get them back quickly,” she said. “They don’t get counted absent if they come over here during the school day, which is good for the school. We have treated a lot of sicknesses and gotten the kids back quicker. We’ve gotten the kids up to date, especially over the summer, on their immunizations so they weren’t in the red when school started back.”

She says this has impacted the parents as well as the students.

“Parents have been great,” she said. “We do a lot of talking over the phone, but they are so appreciative of our care. It helps because the parents don’t have to take off work to come when the kids are sick. They provide great information, and the ones that come are really nice and really supportive of our clinic.”

The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Students can be dropped off at the clinic by school bus or parent drop-off.