Frequently asked questions about donations and needs:

1. How much money does SHC need to raise annually to support operation of the six clinics?
• SHC must raise about $1,300,000 annually to support operations. See our Community Partners page for our primary supporters.
   
2. Are you funded by the school districts where the clinics are located?
• No. The school districts do not fund operational costs of the clinics. However, the school districts do provide space, utilities and maintenance for the clinics.
   
3. What communities do you serve?
• The clinics serve low-income children in the highest need areas of Santa Clara County.
   
4. What is the difference between School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County and school nurses?
• The School Health Clinics are licensed community clinics that serve as “doctors on campus” providing primary medical care to the students and to children in the surrounding community. We are able to bill insurance for the care that we provide to those patients for whom we are the primary care provider.
   
5. Do you only see students at the school where you are located?
• No. All of our clinics see infants, children, and adolescents under the age of 19 from the surrounding community.
   
6. Do you see adults?
• School Health Clinics partners with free clinics at 2 of our sites. Rotacare at Washington Neighborhood Clinic and Pacific Free Clinic at Overfelt High School Neighborhood Clinic provide adult care one day a week at each site. We continue to look for opportunities to expand adult care to our other sites.
   
7. Why are there children who are uninsured? I thought the tobacco tax was supposed to insure all children.
• Not all children are insured because there are new children coming into the county all of the time. Also, families may be newly unemployed or have low paying jobs where there is not dependent coverage.
   
8. Why is it better to fund SHCSCC than just let our tax dollars take care of the children when they need care?
• Once a child is sick enough to go to an emergency room, their care will become quite expensive. The goal of School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County is preventative care, so that the children don't get sick, or if they do, we catch things early when they are easily treatable. This allows children to stay healthy and stay in school.