A virtual school-based program in a large urban school district connected students to timely health services.

Background

Children often face barriers to health care, particularly in schools without school-based health centers. Access to school-based health centers can close these care gaps, reduce the use of emergency departments, and increase timely vaccine delivery and chronic disease monitoring. This article describes the implementation of a virtual care model in Denver Public Schools, where students in schools without school-based health centers access telehealth services during school nurse visits. It focuses on program rollout, provider engagement, and early utilization outcomes across participating schools.

Findings

This implementation-focused article outlines a virtual school-based health center program linking school nurses with providers to deliver care via telehealth in schools without on-site clinics. Since August 2021, the care program has expanded to 58 schools and completed nearly 900 student visits. Student, parent, and provider feedback on the program was positive. The article includes process maps detailing workflows and implementation steps.

Program/Policy Takeaways

Virtual school-based care can expand timely access to care for students facing barriers. School systems and health providers can consider adopting similar telehealth models to improve care access, leveraging shared workflows and partnerships to support implementation and scale.