On-site clinic provides access to health care for the more than 1,400 students enrolled at the school
Corewell Health™ and Detroit Edison Public School Academy (DEPSA) today will announce the grand opening of a new school-based clinic in Detroit that will provide students with access to a comprehensive range of medical services and mental health counseling. The clinic will help address the health care needs of the community, where access to medical and behavioral services has historically been limited.
The grand opening event will be held Friday, Jan. 12, 11 a.m. at Detroit Edison Public School Academy, 1903 Wilkins St., Detroit.
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is expected to attend, along with New Paradigm for Education CEO Ralph C. Bland; Taggert Doll, M.S., unit manager of Child and Adolescent Health Services (CAHS) with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; and Corewell Health’s Executive Vice President, Chief Inclusion, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Officer, Carlos Cubia.
The clinic will provide health care services focused on preventing, identifying and treating conditions that can interfere with a student’s learning. It will be staffed with Corewell Health employees including a nurse practitioner, medical assistant and social worker, and will provide services for students and residents in the community ages 3 to 21, and for special education students through age 26. The clinic also will offer sports physicals, immunizations and health education.
“Students of DEPSA and the surrounding community, like every student and every community, should have access to quality health care,” Cubia said. “That is why Corewell Health is here. There are precious lives that need better access to primary care and preventative services. We are grateful to DEPSA and the leadership of DEPSA for their partnership and collaboration to make these needed services available.”
Detroit Edison Public School Academy is in a federally designated medically underserved neighborhood where many residents face challenges such as a lack of transportation and lack of insurance that often prevent them from receiving the services they need.
“We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to working together to support the well-being of our students and their families,” Bland said. “We believe healthy students are better learners, and this clinic will help our students be healthy and ready to learn. By providing healthcare services in school, we can help students understand the importance of taking care of their health early in life and help bridge the gap in many of the social determinants of health.”
The clinic is open year-round, not just when school is in session. The clinic accepts insurance, but insurance is not a requirement for care. Families will never receive a bill.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Department of Education provide state funding through grants for the clinic. In addition, Corewell Health Foundation Southeast Michigan secures foundation, corporate and individual donations for child and adolescent health center programs and capital needs.
The Detroit Edison Public School Academy will be the ninth Corewell Health school-based clinic in Southeast Michigan including a school-linked teen health center in Wayne County. Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan also operates seven behavioral health school clinics. Corewell Health also offers in-person support and telehealth services in 10 counties and 29 school districts in West Michigan. All locations provide services for underserved communities.