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The Clarke Middle Health Center has officially relocated. With the construction of the middle school finished, the health center transitioned into its new brick-and-mortar facility in January and hosted a ribbon-cutting event for community partners and stakeholders on May 1.
At 4,000 square feet, the center’s new site offers enhanced opportunities to better assist its patients. Along with additional exam rooms, the facility includes a larger lab, a dedicated area for counseling services, and a new community cabinet stocked with toiletries. The center also intends to incorporate nonperishable food items into the cabinet in the future.
“This stunning new environment will enable us to continue providing care, but in a more streamlined setting,” stated Suzanne Lester, director of the Athens Free Clinic. “We express our sincere appreciation to the Clarke County School District and the project team for this incredible new space.”
The center
The Clarke Middle Health Center is a school-based health facility — an innovative approach to delivering health care to students, families, and staff while remaining on school premises. Providing medical services on-site minimizes the time students miss from class and reduces the time guardians need to take off work to bring their child to a physician. It also enhances accessibility to health care for those lacking transportation.
“The center has enabled CCSD students to remain in school, CCSD staff to stay at work, and CCSD families to access improved health,” Lester remarked.
Since its launch in 2022, the center has treated over 1,700 patients, with cumulative care valued at more than $402,000. The complimentary medical services are delivered by Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership faculty, nurses, and students. The care provided focuses on managing acute illnesses and offering sports physicals, though patients can be referred to specialists for comprehensive treatment.
The center also collaborates with other UGA schools and colleges, including the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, the School of Law, the College of Public Health, and the School of Social Work.
“School-based health centers truly assist members of the community in overcoming obstacles to receiving health care,” said Jeni Fitzpatrick, teaching clinic operations manager. “The Clarke Middle Health Center is distinct in that the care our team offers is totally free, thereby alleviating the financial burden that could otherwise prevent individuals or families from visiting a medical facility.”
From left to right, first-year Medical Partnership student John Dusk gives a tour of the clinic to College of Family and Consumer Sciences Dean Anisa Zvonkovic, Clarke County School District Executive Director of Student and Family Services Tessa Barbazon and Family and Consumer Sciences faculty member Megan Ford after the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Clarke Middle Health Center at Clarke Middle School. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
Community partnerships
The center serves as a community partner site for the Medical Partnership’s Athens Free Clinic, which has been providing complimentary health care to the underinsured and uninsured residents of Athens-Clarke County and neighboring areas since 2018. The clinic surpassed $1 million in free health care services provided by February.
This is not the first collaboration between the Athens Free Clinic and CCSD aimed at fostering a healthier community. In 2021, faculty and students from the Medical Partnership administered over 4,000 COVID-19 vaccines to faculty, staff, students, and their families.
“We are immensely grateful for the services that the Clarke Middle Health Center has delivered to the students, staff, and families of CCSD,” expressed Amy Roark, director of school nursing services at CCSD. “It’s a fantastic resource to access medical, legal, and behavioral health services conveniently on campus, and we value that, through this partnership, CCSD students and staff can optimize their time in class, learning and teaching.”
For additional information about the center, visit https://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/page/clarke-middle-health-center.
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