Baton Rouge General, Claiborne Elementary Team Up for New School-based Clinic

BATON ROUGE, La. – Students at Claiborne Elementary School in Baton Rouge will be able to receive care at school from a family medicine physician, as part of a new school-based clinic concept between Baton Rouge General (BRG) and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS). The clinic will launch with the start of the 2022-2023 school year.

“We know your child’s pediatrician is a trusted healthcare provider, and we want it to stay that way,” said Dr. Vincent Shaw, family medicine physician at BRG. “Our role is to supplement your child’s care and make things easier for caregivers when their kids get sick.”

Next school year, a physician from the Family Health Center at Baton Rouge General – Mid City will be on site one day a week at Claiborne Elementary, with the capability to expand services to meet the needs of students. Students can be seen for various ailments, like a sore throat, sprain or a cough. The clinic can test for common illnesses like strep, flu and COVID, and can also send in prescriptions if needed.

“The goal of a school-based clinic is better access to quality care, less time away from school for kids, and more convenience for caretakers,” said Sabrina Honor, principal at Claiborne Elementary. “When a child receives care at school, it saves caretakers the additional burden of making an appointment and bringing the child to a doctor’s office or urgent care. The child can get home to rest and recover even faster.”

The school-basedclinic visits are at no cost to families and are covered by most insurances. Caregivers can opt in by filling out a consent form for their child to be seen by the doctor when needed. Much like other important documents required by schools, the signed consent form will be kept on file for each child.

BRG and EBRPSS have also teamed up recently to transform Park Elementary into a “focus choice school,” giving students an opportunity to attend high quality specialty schools without the barriers of magnet or charter schools. By elevating the current curriculum at Park Elementary, students will receive a strong foundation in the fundamentals and the access, knowledge, and resources necessary to achieve their future career goals in medicine, healthcare, or other STEM-based fields.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with over 600 licensed beds between three campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General is affiliated with several medical school programs, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter @BRGeneral and Instagram @batonrougegeneral.

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