GWINN -- The Gwinn School's in-house clinic gives students access to a multitude of health services from immunizations to basic check-ups.
“I think it's convenient 'cause it's right around the next corner,” says ninth grader, Justin Tant. “I get my shots here, have regular visits.”
Gwinn’s clinic opened in 2011 targeting uninsured or underinsured students. Staff doesn’t turn anyone away and treated close to 500 patients in the past year.
Superintendent Kim Tufnell explains her students are provided with “immediate care.”
“Yesterday we had a couple kids with the flu,” says Tufnell. “Staff evaluated them and determined that they needed to go home. We are able to make those determinations immediately and keep everyone happy and healthy in the building.”
The prognosis for the clinic is looking even better after the Marquette County Health Department was awarded a $500,000 grant from the United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the Affordable Care Act.
The next step involves getting the green light from the Board of Education. If granted approval by the Board of Education, the money will be used to upgrade and expand the facility. The current clinic would be more than tripled in size from 425 square feet to 1,375 square feet.
It’s quite a small area,” says Marquette County Health Department’s Health Officer, Fred Benzie. “The grant funding is for what we call capital improvement…it’s just to expand onto the Gwinn High School.”
For students who depend on the clinic for medical needs, the expansion may be just what the doctor prescribed.
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