Tina Smith: “today, I am honored to introduce the School Based Health Clinic Act of 2007. I developed this legislation in partnership…”

“today, I am honored to introduce the School Based Health Clinic Act of 2007. I developed this legislation in partnership with parents and healthcare advocates, all of whom are affiliated with Oregon's vibrant school based health center network. This important legislation will create a federal authorization to support the work of school based health centers (SBHCs) across the Nation. Currently, there are approximately 1700 SBHCs operating across the country, and Oregon is home to 44 of them. These special health clinics--with the input of parents, school personnel, healthcare providers and other youth advocate--provide vital primary and mental healthcare services to all children, regardless of their income or insurance status. Study after study show that SBHCs can help curtail inappropriate emergency room use, reduce Medicaid expenditures and prevent costly hospitalizations. Findings such as these have convinced me that Congress should be supporting programs like SBHCs that provide convenient points of access to basic healthcare services.”