Renovated facility will provide students with medical care and full-time behavioral health services on campus
Luling Elementary School students will soon have greater access to medical care without leaving campus, thanks to a newly renovated school-based health center operated by Access Health Louisiana.
Chenier Reynolds, executive vice president of Access Health Louisiana, said the new facility will provide students with medical and behavioral health services in a dedicated space designed to meet their needs throughout the school day.
Access Health Louisiana began offering medical and behavioral health services at Luling Elementary in fall 2023. However, limited space on campus presented challenges for delivering care.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, students were walked through a gated walkway to the adjacent St. Charles Community Health Center at 843 Milling Ave. for medical appointments, while behavioral health services were provided in an office inside the school. Medical services later moved temporarily to Access Health Louisiana’s mobile unit to reduce the time students spent traveling between facilities.
This year, Luling Elementary Principal Kelli Oertling was able to identify space within the school’s Family Center Building for a full medical and behavioral health clinic. Renovations began in August, with Hammill Construction facilitating the buildout. One half of the building houses the new clinic, while the other half is home to the Head Start program.
The project was funded through Access Health Louisiana’s operations. The total renovation cost was not available at press time.
The clinic’s medical team includes pediatrician Dr. Abbey Lewis-Smith and family nurse practitioner Michelle Comboy. Students can receive sports physicals, immunizations, well-child exams and treatment for acute illnesses and other concerns, including rashes, pink eye and insect bites. Students needing prescriptions can use the adjacent Access Health Louisiana Pharmacy, which offers free home delivery.
Medical appointments are expected to begin in early November as final preparations are completed. Students are already receiving behavioral health services at the facility.
Lizbeth McNabb, a licensed clinical social worker, will provide therapy on campus five days a week. Longtime Access Health Louisiana school-based therapists Kerry Hymel-Nesbit, Angie Ruiz and Amber Guidry will also continue supporting students.
“Our therapists work with students dealing with anxiety, depression, bullying, trauma, changing family dynamics, grief, and more,” Reynolds said. “These interventions help the student develop the coping skills they need to be successful in and out of the classroom.”
Access Health Louisiana hopes to enroll at least 70 percent of Luling Elementary’s student population in school-based health services. Reynolds encouraged parents to enroll their children even if they already have a pediatrician or outside therapist.
“This way, if their child gets sick and the parent cannot get to school to check them out, a provider can see their child in the school-based health center and send their prescription to the pharmacy to be filled,” Reynolds said. “This way, by the time parents pick up their child from school, the prescription is ready to be picked up from their local pharmacy as well.”
The center is intended to complement, rather than replace, a child’s primary care provider. When follow-up care is needed, school-based providers can refer students to their regular pediatrician.
“The goal of the school-based health center is to offer continuity of care to students throughout the school day,” Reynolds said. “Our pediatrician and nurse practitioner do not replace your child’s primary care physician.”
Reynolds said having medical care available at school can also reduce the burden on working parents who might otherwise need to leave work to take their children to appointments. The program aims to reduce student absenteeism, increase classroom time and help keep teachers in the classroom.
“Parents never receive a bill for any service their child receives on campus through the school-based health center,” Reynolds said. Students with commercial insurance or Medicaid have their insurance billed, while grants cover the cost of care for uninsured students.
The organization has also introduced virtual after-hours appointments Monday through Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. Established school-based and community health center patients can schedule appointments in advance or contact their clinic to be connected with the after-hours provider. School-based health center patients will not have out-of-pocket costs for these visits, which can address common illnesses and provide school sick notes when needed.
The Luling facility is part of Access Health Louisiana’s broader school-based health program in St. Charles Parish. The organization operates five school-based health centers serving seven campuses: Albert Cammon Middle and St. Rose Elementary, J.B. Martin Middle and R.J. Vial Elementary, Hahnville High, Destrehan High and Luling Elementary. It also works with St. Charles Parish Public Schools on mobile immunization and sports physical events.
Access Health Louisiana operates community health centers in Luling and Norco, serving residents on both sides of the river.
To enroll a student in school-based health services, parents can visit AccessHealthLA.org and select their child’s school.
