Editor’s note: after this story had gone to press on Monday afternoon, Honor Community Health rescinded their offer to operate a health care clinic in this district. The Tuesday town hall meeting was cancelled. Read the story here. 

By Don Rush

For over a year Oxford Community Schools has worked with Honor Community Health (HCH) to get a health clinic inside Oxford High School. Original plans for a clinic which was open to the community were scrapped last fall, following concerns of student safety as the clinic would have open access to the outside. At the April 11, school board meeting, a new plan was presented for a clinic to allow just Oxford students, aged 5-21 (26 for special needs students). Last week board members heard from Oxford’s Todd Barlass, Executive Director of School Services and Wellness, Honor’s Jeff Cook and from members of the audience about a new plan for the school clinic.

HCH would provide health/wellness education, facilitate classes on topics such as nutrition, asthma/diabetes, substance use and bullying with a health educator, a nurse practitioner for primary health care and a community health assistant to answer questions.

“As a follow up to our presentation at the last board meeting regarding Honor Community Health, we received a number of questions . . . and I wanted the opportunity to respond to the community about some of their questions and concerns,” Barlass said. He then proceeded to cite about a dozen questions and then gave answers.

Some of the questions included:

Is there zero liability for Honor Community Health practitioners if they misdiagnosed or treated a patient incorrectly resulting in death?

Will Honor Community Health be a facility that would help to keep students current on immunizations shots?

Is OHS at capacity for classroom space, what classroom is being used?

Reading from a prepared sheet, Barlass told the board in regards to current staffing, “Current school mental health staff provide school based interventions, within a multi-tiered framework to support student success in the academic setting. HCH practitioners provide a more intensive level of service for acute needs that include assessment, treatment, and diagnosis from a medical model. They have significantly different responsibilities when you look at the continuum of care for students. . .”

For another question he read, “Is there zero liability for Honor Community Health practitioners if they misdiagnosed or treated a patient incorrectly resulting in death? HCH practitioners found guilty of medical malpractice or wrongful death would have the same liability as your local urgent care, doctor’s office, pediatrician or hospital practitioners. But, I want to correct that. I was able to receive legal input on that. A school-based clinic funded through state grant dollars, does have a certain level of protection . . . but a family would be able to pursue the allegation of was there gross negligence. So, there is a certain level of protection because they are serving an under-privelidged population and they are funded through grant dollars.”

Barlass said HCH would not give immunization shots without parental consent. In regards to whether or not there is enough space in the high school for such a clinic, Barlass read, “OCS manages classroom space and facilities to meet the needs for all students with a variety of needs, this is a similar consideration regarding the health clinic. The proposed classroom (301) was selected based on being in a central location, current classroom utilization, square footage and the fact that utilities are currently in the classroom.”

More than once school board President Dan D’Alessandro asked about parental consent and reproductive services. School board member Mike Sommers wanted to know about the district’s liability if a student went directly to HCH with, for example, thoughts of suicide and if HCH would let the district know if the student had such thoughts. School board member Amanda McDonough asked about threat assessments, again if a student goes straight to the clinic with drawings or wants to harm someone, would the practitioner let the parents or district know?

Cook, the Chief of Community Services for HCH, told the board if a student goes straight to the clinic with an issue, the student would have to give the clinic the consent to tell their parents and then, parents would make up their own minds whether or not to communicate issues with the district.

After the presentation, D’Alessandro opened the meeting up to audience participation. Ten spoke in regards to the school clinic, all were not in favor of such a clinic. Some were concerned how the clinic would affect private practices already in the community. Most who spoke were not in favor of a government-funded health care clinic, citing concerns of “government overreach.”

“This board is our last line of defense,” one woman said.

“Who defines if we are an under-served community? It was just stated that 98 percent of the community is covered?”

“Just educate our children well in reading, writing, arithmetic science, home economics and art. Focus on your core competency,” a woman told the board. “Butt out, stay in your own lane.”

It was announced at the meeting the board would hold a special town hall meeting on Tuesday, at the Oxford Middle School (after the Leader’s deadline). The board could vote on whether to green-light the project at its May 9 meeting.