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Health Care in Schools? New Survey Reveals Strong Support Among Majority of California Voters for School Health Centers

Posted on: Wednesday, 4 October 2006, 15:00 CDT

Two-thirds of California voters weigh in favorably when it comes to providing health care in schools, according to a survey released today. They also agree that investing in school-based health care is the smart thing to do. After hearing a description of school health centers, voters favor them and say they are a good idea because they will improve children's access to health care resulting in healthier kids who have an equal chance to succeed in school. The survey, conducted by Lake Research Partners, and commissioned by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The California Endowment, reached 800 registered California voters. The survey was also conducted nationally with similar results.

"Californians' responses generally mirror what we find nationally," said Alysia Snell, partner and researcher for Lake Research Partners. "Furthermore, the level of support for providing health care in schools crosses demographic boundaries, including regional, party, and racial lines, pointing to voters' belief that schools can be an important place to bring health care to where the kids are."

The kinds of services provided at school health centers are also important to voters. While the survey finds the majority support providing a wide range of services, mental health, health education, and treatment of acute illness, sudden trauma and chronic health conditions rank at the top. Dental services also rank as important to voters. Support runs highest with 84 percent of voters believing it is important that school health centers provide health education around eating right and exercising, and counseling for kids with obesity and other eating problems. Running a close second are mental health services such as suicide prevention, grief therapy, and counseling around peer pressure and bullying, with 80 percent of voters rating these services as important.

"School health centers are an ideal point of access to care for underinsured and uninsured kids," said Barbara Staggers, M.D., director of Adolescent Medicine for Children's Hospital Oakland. "Many of these children have little or no access to primary care -- the kinds of health services that provide early detection and identify risk factors for emotional disorders and disease. Chronic health conditions, such as asthma and type-2 diabetes, can be caught early through screening and, in some instances, prevented."

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 decline participation because they cannot afford their share of the cost.

Voters, however, express concern when they learn that school health centers in California have no stable source of funding. Two-thirds of California voters say a stable funding source is extremely or very important, and most favor requiring the state and federal governments to specifically set aside funds for school health centers. Voters then look to insurance companies to reimburse for services provided. California's school health centers recover less than 50 percent of their operating costs through third-party reimbursement for services from Medi-Cal and other publicly funded programs. The remainder of their funding is provided largely through grants, which cannot be relied on as sustainable sources of support. A majority of voters expressed concern that these health centers might have to reduce services or close if funding is not stabilized.

"What this survey tells us is that California's voters are concerned about our children's health and believe it's time for state and federal governments to commit to long-term, sustainable solutions," said Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of The California Endowment. "Combined with getting all California kids enrolled in health coverage, school health centers are a critically important vehicle for expanding their access to care."

At his July 24, 2006 Health Care Affordability Summit, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed expanding California's school health clinics to 500 elementary schools. The first follow-up meeting between administration representatives and stakeholders to develop plans to support and expand school health centers is scheduled for October 4. In addition, AB 2560 -- The School Health Centers Act of 2006 -- was approved by California's legislature and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger on September 19, 2006. The bill establishes a program to advance school health centers by providing assistance to establish new ones, while strengthening existing school health centers through data collection and identifying new, sustainable funding sources.

Currently, California has 146 school health centers that provide care to approximately 262,000 students a year. They offer a range of services and encompass a variety of models -- from large secondary school clinics with full-time medical staff to smaller part-time clinics that may have a single staff person and rely on referrals to linked providers.

Click on the following link to access the topline findings of the survey www.calendow.org

Click on the following link for information about California's school health centers http://www.schoolhealthcenters.org/docs/inc_about/OverviewCaSBHC07-06. doc. (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

Representatives from school health centers are available for comment and interviews. Please contact Jeff Okey at (213) 928-8622 or via email at jokey@calendow.org and he will provide you with a contact located in your region (if available).

Lake Research Partners (LRP) is a public policy research firm with offices in Washington, DC, Oakland, CA and San Diego, CA. Alysia Snell has designed and analyzed public opinion research on a wide range of issues including health care, the environment, children, and education. For more about LRP, please visit www.lspa.com.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930 to help people help themselves through the practical application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations. For more information, visit their Web site at www.wkkf.org.

The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. For more information, visit The Endowment's Web site at www.calendow.org.

Source: Business Wire

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