Joint Press Release:
WellCheck
St. Mary’s County Public Schools
St. Mary’s County Health Department
LEONARDTOWN, MD (March 27, 2023) – WellCheck and the St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) have partnered to implement a new digital enrollment tool for School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) in St. Mary’s County. This simplified, electronic process is now available at smchd.org/sbhc and works on most electronic devices, including smartphones and tablets. The WellCheck technology allows students, staff and community members faster access to health care services by making the SBHC enrollment process more convenient and efficient. Individuals must be enrolled in the SBHC program in order to be seen when they need health care services at any of the clinics.
Through a partnership with the St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS), SMCHD operates the first two SBHCs in southern Maryland at Margaret Brent Middle School and Spring Ridge Middle School. These SBHCs are open to all SBHC-enrolled SMCPS students and employees, regardless of host school, during and after school hours. The SBHCs are also available after school hours for general community members who are enrolled in the SBHC program. SMCHD provides routine and urgent medical care, rapid testing for colds and chronic illnesses, sports physicals, nutrition counseling, and treatment of minor injuries at the SBHCs. The SBHC clinical team will coordinate with the patient’s established primary care clinician.
To enroll to receive health care services through the SBHCs, please click here.
The SBHCs are open Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Any SMCPS student or employee, regardless of host school, can use these SBHCs if they are enrolled in the SBHC program. General community members who are enrolled in the SBHC program may also make appointments for after school hours Monday – Friday from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. To make an appointment or to talk with a SBHC team member, please call one of the phone numbers below:
- Margaret Brent Middle School-Based Health Center
- 240-434-6060
- Spring Ridge Middle School-Based Health Center
- 240-434-6059
“We use our mobile devices for many of our daily tasks so providing a HIPAA-compliant digital enrollment tool for the St. Mary’s County community is very powerful”, said Chris Nickerson, CEO at WellCheck. “Leveraging technology to transform a somewhat arduous paper-driven process into a streamlined digital enrollment that can be completed on any device is going to save valuable time for members of the community.”
“School-based health centers offer a convenient way for students and school staff to receive evaluation and treatment for illness or injury without a major loss of school or work time,” said Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary’s County Health Officer. “This is especially convenient for parents who might otherwise have to take time off of work in order to transport a sick child to traditional urgent care where they may be waiting for hours. Many children seen at an SBHC are able to return to their classroom with minimal time away from learning. SBHCs can also improve access to health care in communities like ours with shortages of primary care clinicians.”
“We are encouraged that the new digital enrollment tool will make it easier for our families and staff to enroll in the SBHC program, giving them access to the many health care services they provide,” stated Dr. J. Scott Smith, Superintendent of St. Mary’s County Public Schools.
For more information about St. Mary’s County’s School-Based Health Centers and to enroll in the program, please visit smchd.org/sbhc.
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