FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Connecticut Department of Public Health
January 14, 2009 William Gerrish
(860) 509-7270
Hartford -- The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that Optimus Health Care and Southwest Community Health Center will operate the City of Bridgeport School Based Health Center (SBHC) program beginning March 1, 2009.
Optimus Health Care was awarded a contract in December by DPH through a competitive bid process to run the ten Bridgeport SBHCs, and will sub-contract to Southwest Community Health Center to run five of the ten centers. The City of Bridgeport previously ran the SBHC program and will do so through the end of February.
“Parents and guardians need to know that if their child is currently enrolled with a Bridgeport SBHC and they wish to have him or her continue to receive services, no action is required,” commented DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, MD, MPH, MBA. “The release form signed by you for the 2008/2009 school year remains active and valid.”
However, if a child is currently enrolled in a Bridgeport SBHC and a parent/guardian chooses for him or her to no longer receive services with the new vender, they must notify the school in writing. This form is being sent home with children today, and is available at SBHC, school offices and on-line at www.ct.gov/dph.
Medical and mental health services will continue to be offered at each of the city’s SBHC sites. In addition, each SBHC is now partnered with a local Community Health Center (CHC), enabling students to access the full range of comprehensive primary care year-round. Basic oral health services, primarily screenings and some cleanings will be available at those SBHC sites with dental suites, while other dental work will be provided at partner CHC sites (please see attached list). Physicians with admitting privileges at Bridgeport Hospital staff both CHCs.
The SBHC sites will be open every day the school is open and will remain open two weeks after school closes in June and re-open two weeks before the beginning of school in August. The partner CHCs will provide primary care at their various clinical sites during the summer months as well as some holidays, Saturdays, and after school hours.
All Bridgeport SBHCs will remain open during the transition period, and every effort is being made to provide continuity of service as this transition progresses.
School Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are comprehensive primary health care facilities located within or on the grounds of schools. SBHCs are licensed as outpatient facilities or hospital satellite clinics and offer services that address the medical, mental and oral health needs of students in grades pre-K through 12.
For more information regarding the transition, please contact Ludwig Spinelli at Optimus Health Care at (203) 696-3260, ext. 3349, or Katherine Yacavone at Southwest Community Health Center at (203) 332-3501.
SBHC Location Partner Community Health Center
Warren Harding High School Optimus Health Care, 982 East Main Street
JFK Campus Optimus Health Care, 982 East Main Street
Columbus School Optimus Health Care, 982 East Main Street
Dunbar School Optimus Health Care, 982 East Main Street
Luis Munoz Marin Optimus Health Care, 982 East Main Street
SBHC Location Partner Community Health Center
Central High School Southwest Community Health Center,
968 Fairfield Avenue
Bassick High School Southwest Community Health Center,
968 Fairfield Avenue
Blackham School Southwest Community Health Center,
968 Fairfield Avenue
Roosevelt School Southwest Community Health Center,
968 Fairfield Avenue
Read School Southwest Community Health Center,
968 Fairfield Avenue
The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the state’s leader in public health policy and advocacy with a mission to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of our state. To contact the department, please visit its website at www.ct.gov/dph or call (860) 509-7270.
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