Lawmaker Receives School Health Center Champion Award
Posted on: Monday, 25 September 2006, 15:00 CDT
The California School Health Centers Association (CSHC) presented Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) with the School Health Center Champion Award at their annual meeting in Los Angeles today. "Mr. Ridley-Thomas has several first-rate school health centers in his district, so he understands how they improve children's health and their chances for success in school and in life," said CSHC Executive Director Serena Clayton. "He has been a true champion this year in seeking to expand the benefits of school health centers to more children in California."
Ridley-Thomas authored the School Health Centers Act of 2006, AB 2560, that was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 19th. The bill requires the state to establish a program to advance school health centers by helping to start new ones, while also strengthening current centers by collecting data and identifying sustainable sources of funding.
"When the first signs of the cold and flu season emerge and when injuries on school grounds occur, school health centers play an indispensable role in providing immediate health services right where kids are -- at school. Students who become sick or are ailing from flare-ups of chronic conditions, like asthma, cannot learn effectively. School health centers put students' health on the same level of importance as learning 'The Three Rs,'" Mr. Ridley-Thomas explained.
School health centers reach the state's most vulnerable children because they are located in school districts where many low-income working families are either not offered health coverage through their employers or cannot afford their share of cost. California has 146 school health centers in elementary, middle and high schools across the state. School health centers provide basic medical care including treatment for injuries and chronic illnesses, as well as related services such as health education on eating right and exercising, and mental health services such as suicide prevention and counseling around peer pressure and bullying.
The California School Health Centers Association is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization based in Oakland. Its members include California's 146 school health centers and other individuals and organizations that support school-based health care. For more information about CSHC and research related to school health centers, visit their Web site at: www.schoolhealthcenters.org.
CONTACT: California School Health Centers Association Serena Clayton Executive Director (510) 268-1310 Kristin Curran Policy and Finance (510) 268-1160
SOURCE: CA School Health Centers Association
Source: MARKET WIRE
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