Noted NYS School-Based Health scholars Kjolhede and Lee contribute to AAP article

School-Based Health Centers and Pediatric Practice Chris Kjolhede and April C. Lee; COUNCIL ON SCHOOL HEALTH Pediatrics September 2021, e2021053758; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053758 Abstract School-based health centers (SBHCs) are unique health care settings for our nation’s school-aged children and adolescents. SBHCs represent the collaboration between the health and school communities to support the health and mental health needs and the academic achievements of children and adolescents, particularly students with health disparities or poor access to health care. SBHCs improve access to health care services for students by decreasing financial, geographic, age, and cultural barriers. This policy statement provides an overview of SBHCs, including the scope of services as well as some of the documented benefits and challenges. This policy statement also reviews the role of SBHCs in working with the pediatric medical home and provides recommendations that support the coordination of SBHCs with pediatric primary care providers and the pediatric medical home. Continue article: School-Based Health Centers and Pediatric Practice | American Academy of Pediatrics (aappublications.org) ‘The number of SBHCs has more than doubled since 1998.

Currently, 46% of SBHCs are in urban communities, 36% are in rural areas, and 18% are in suburban communities.

The growth of SBHCs in rural and suburban areas has outpaced that in urban settings since 2008.