FirstHealth of the Carolinas is among five organizations selected to share $1.25 million in state and federal funding aimed at expanding school-based health services in rural North Carolina.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the investment Monday through the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program. The money will support access to preventive and acute care, nutrition services and behavioral health care for children and young people.
Support for rural communities
FirstHealth’s work will focus on school health services in Montgomery and Richmond counties, extending the potential reach of care in communities where transportation, provider shortages and other barriers can make routine health services harder to access.
NCDHHS did not specify in its announcement how the $1.25 million will be divided among the five recipients. In addition to FirstHealth, funding was awarded to Appalachian District Health Department, Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Mountain Community Health Partnership and Wilson County Health Department.
The grants may be used to establish services at new locations, add telehealth or mobile options and increase the capacity of existing school-based health centers. Placing services in or near schools can help students receive care while reducing the time families must spend traveling to appointments.
Care where students already are
North Carolina currently has about 90 school-based health centers serving approximately 30,000 children and young people, according to NCDHHS. These centers can provide a convenient connection to physical and behavioral health services while supporting attendance and helping schools respond to student needs.
The latest funding is designed to strengthen that model in rural areas. For students and families in Montgomery and Richmond counties, FirstHealth’s inclusion could mean broader access to care through school-connected programs as implementation moves forward.
Details about individual sites, schedules and the exact amount awarded to FirstHealth were not included in the state’s announcement. Additional information is expected as recipients develop or expand their programs.
Source: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
