Bringing year-round health services into rural schools for kids
School Based Health Centers - An approach to address health disparities among rural youth.
This project sees whether permanent, no-cost health centers in rural schools help low-income children get more preventive, acute, and chronic care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cornell University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ithaca, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11381749 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
My local schools have on-site health centers run by the Bassett Healthcare Network that offer physical, dental, and mental care year-round at no out-of-pocket cost. Researchers will compare 16 school districts with these centers to 22 similar districts without them, using interviews, focus groups, surveys, and 12 years of patient visit records. They will combine stories from families and staff with clinic and administrative data to track how often children use preventive care and treatment for conditions like asthma and mental health. The team includes Cornell, Bassett clinicians, and local community partners working together.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are students, caregivers, and school staff in the participating low-income rural counties served by the Bassett Healthcare Network, especially families with children who need preventive or chronic care.
Not a fit: Children who do not attend schools in the participating districts, adults, or patients needing specialized tertiary care outside the SBHC services are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could show that school-based health centers increase access to care and reduce unmet health needs for rural children.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research indicates school-based health centers can improve access and preventive care in some settings, but rigorous, multilevel evidence specific to low-income rural communities is limited.
Where this research is happening
Ithaca, United States
- Cornell University — Ithaca, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tennyson, Sharon — Cornell University
- Study coordinator: Tennyson, Sharon
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.