Carl Junction Schools partners with Freeman Health System to offer enhanced health services for students and staff

Carl Junction Schools and Freeman Health System are partnering to provide a comprehensive school-based health program for students and staff. The partnership goals for both students and staff are to improve the health of students and staff, increase access to health care, and decrease time lost from the classroom and work.

The partnership includes services for telehealth, priority scheduling for appointments at the Carl Junction Family Medicine Clinic and Ozark Center Clinic in Carl Junction, crisis counseling when needed at the clinic or on campus, transportation for students to the local clinics for appointments, dental health services through a partnership with Access Family Health, and a health and wellness education and resource center that will provide individual, class, or group instruction and health coaching.

“We have an excellent nursing staff serving our students,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Phillip Cook, “but the partnership with Freeman Health System allows us to offer a higher degree of service to our students and staff that we hope will result in a healthier community.”

“We are excited about this partnership and the opportunity it gives Freeman to create greater access to health care for the employees and students at Carl Junction School,” said Freeman President and CEO Paula Baker. “Increased access to needed medical services will result in not only an environment of wellness for the school, but also for the entire community.”

The additional treatment and transportation services offered by the Freeman partnership will only be available to students with parental permission. Students who are feeling ill will still see the school nurse and the nurse will still contact the parent to arrange a treatment plan appropriate for the student.

“Having the ability to consult directly by video conference with the nurse practitioner at the Carl Junction Family Medicine Clinic will give parents even more information about the health of their child,” said Carl Junction Lead Nurse Stacey Whitney. “If a parent gives us permission we will consult with the clinic staff and then report back to the parent on treatment recommendations. We will then work as a team with parents and the clinic staff to get the best possible care for the child. If it is determined that the child needs to be seen in person at the clinic, we will transport (with parental permission) the child to the clinic so that treatment may begin immediately.”

The partnership’s various treatment options are expected to reduce the time that a student waits for treatment when injured or ill at school. Typically a child would have to wait for a parent to drive from their workplace in Joplin to Carl Junction to be picked up at school and then often they would have to drive back to Joplin for medical services.

“We hope that the enhanced services of this partnership will benefit all of our students, families, and staff,” added Whitney.

About Freeman Health System
Locally owned and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. A not-for-profit health system, Freeman provides cancer care, heart and vascular care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services, and women’s services and has more than 300 physicians on staff. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com or facebook.com/freemanhealthsystem or follow Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer Paula Baker at twitter.com/freemanceo.