Community Health will become a much larger presence in the Hamilton Southeastern School District following the passage of a resolution empowering school administrators to finalize a contract with the health network. Community already provides mental health services, but will now staff the employee health center and eventually employ nurses working in the district’s school buildings.
IU Health canceled its pact with HSE Schools to provide an employee health center on 90 days’ notice, meaning their clinic will close as of Sept. 2. Community Health has committed to making every effort to open its health clinic by Sept. 2, but if that cannot be done, HSE School workers will be directed to other Community Health facilities in the area. Community had expected to open the health Center Jan. 1, 2019, but the IU cancellation created a need to speed up the process.
Marianne Lawson Vogt spoke on behalf of the nursing staff in HSE Schools. “While we can’t say we are not disappointed to be leaving as HSE employees,” Vogt told the board, “We would like to thank the board, especially Michelle Fullhart and Sylvia Shepler.”
Vogt says this has been a “very long and hard process, and we believe we’ve all made the best of the current vote before the board. There’s always compromise and balancing, saving funds in our students’ best interest.”
Part of the compromise will expand the types of medications nurses may dispense in their schools, greatly expanding the list from what Community Health had originally proposed. This changeover of nurses becoming Community Health employees will not happen until the 2019-2020 school year.
In a related action, Methodist Health will continue to provide sports training services to HSE Schools, in the 2018-2019 school year, but Community Health will take that program over in the 2019-2020 year.