A new resource is making healthcare more accessible for students in the Oakville School District. The School-Based Health Center—now open—is offering free medical services to students. The center’s purpose is to ensure that healthcare is convenient, accessible and integrated into the school day. The health center is designed to support students’ health and well-being without disrupting their education.
Run by a Washington State Department of Health grant and managed by the Grays Harbor County Public Health Department, the Oakville School-Based Health Center operates once a week during the school day, typically Mondays, with plans to expand potential summer hours in the future.
“Our vision as a district is to provide more opportunities for our students and families,” says Rich Staley, superintendent for Oakville School District. “If our students are feeling healthier, their ability to grow academically will improve exponentially. A School-Based Health Center allows us to help students and families have a person here on campus to support students in their healthcare needs and help to break down challenges families are facing when working through a more and more complex healthcare system.”
The journey to opening the health center was one of patience. It started in 2022 when Grays Harbor County Department of Health approached North Beach and Oakville school districts, based on county data regarding access to healthcare, to apply for grants that the Washington State Department of Health was awarding to promote and support School Based Health Centers. Oakville was not selected the first time around, but North Beach was. Then in 2024, after an invite to re-apply to new grants under the state’s effort to start the program in more places, Oakville’s hope for the center was revived—only to be dashed again! But thanks to the county finding alternative funding, Oakville’s School-Based Health Center became a reality.
“We are very grateful for the county’s generosity,” says Staley. “Our motivation in this endeavor was that we had many families that just didn’t have access to healthcare in a local setting that we were seeing come to school each day. Whether it was a lack of insurance, lack of transportation or a lack of understanding the systems, our families struggled to be engaged in many cases with healthcare. We saw this as an opportunity to take away many of those barriers.”
School-Based Health Care for Oakville Families
Parents can rest assured that using the School-Based Health Center does not affect their child’s current healthcare provider or insurance plan. And signing the consent form allows students to access these services while still maintaining their existing insurance coverage.
One of the biggest advantages of the School-Based Health Center is there is no cost to families, regardless of insurance status. While the center may bill insurance when applicable, there are no co-pays, no out-of-pocket costs, and no bills for covered services. However, any tests, lab work, x-rays, or specialty care referrals performed outside the School-Based Health Center may incur costs. For those without insurance, staff can help with enrollment in an insurance plan. Medical services provided feature primary and preventive healthcare services, including annual, sports or camp physicals. Diagnosis, treatment of medical conditions, management of chronic conditions, sick visits—think ear infections or strep throat—and referrals to specialty care are also offered.
Grays Harbor Student Wellness Improves Academic Success
In Oakville, the student population is over 60% free and reduced lunch rate—which is attributed to poverty—and over 23% of Oakville students are living with special needs. “Both of these factors lend themselves to a learning community with many health needs,” shares Staley. “Our main academic goal is for each student to make a growth of one year in one year’s time (at a minimum) in English-Language Arts, Math and social/emotional needs. So, when we can provide students with healthier choices and supports, their ability to be successful in the classroom and in life increases a great deal.”
For example, sports physicals can be a timesaver for families. Some students end up not participating in sports because the physical is required. “Our doctor at the School-Based Health Center can complete these physicals for students on campus. The student cannot be in jeopardy of not participating, and it saves the family having to take time off school or work to transport the student out of the community to get this completed,” explains Staley. “This results in more learning time.”
To perform well academically, students need to feel good. And this is where the health center plays a crucial role. To take advantage of this valuable resource, families must complete a registration packet in full and return it to the school’s main administrative office. For more information or assistance with the School-Based Health Center registration process, contact Grays Harbor County Public Health at 360.532.8631.
With the School-Based Health Center now in place, families can breathe a little easier knowing that students have access to quality healthcare right where they learn—because a healthy student is a thriving student.
