Q & A

Who are we?

We are:

• Licensed community clinics
• Federally qualified health centers
• Easily accessible at school sites
• A provider of primary care medical services for both students at the clinic sites and the children from the surrounding neighborhoods.

Who do we serve?

We serve:

• Children and adolescents from birth to age 19
• Low income and “working poor”
• Medically uninsured and underinsured
• Medically underserved

What do we do?

We provide on site:

• Urgent care
• Monitoring and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma
• Treatment for illness and injury
• Physical exams
• Immunizations
• Diagnostic tests
• Health education
• Confidential reproductive services
• Prescriptions
• Nutritional counseling
• Mental health counseling
• Dental screening and referrals
• Enrollment in low to no cost government insurance programs including Medi-Cal, Healthy Families & Healthy Kids

Where are we?

Locations are in:

• East and Central San Jose
• Gilroy
• Five School–based clinics
  • San Jose High Academy – San Jose Unified School District
  • Overfelt High School – East Side Union High School District
  • Washington Elementary School – San Jose Unified School District
  • Franklin – McKinley District Office – Franklin McKinley Unified School District
  • South Valley Middle School – Gilroy Unified School District

Do School Health Clinics Make a Difference?

• School Health Clinics improve attendance and academic performance.
• School Health Clinics prevent adolescent pregnancies and treat sexually transmitted diseases, which prevents the spread of disease and associated complications.
• By conducting early and timely physical assessments and treatments, School Health Clinics are preventing costly expense to the community through lowering emergency room use.
• MOST IMPORTANT: School Health Clinics are preventing children from experiencing pain and suffering associated with disease and illness.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Do you see adults?

School Health Clinics partners with free clinics at 3 of our sites. RotaCare at Washington Neighborhood Clinic, Gilroy Neighborhood Health 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.

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.

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.