SLS 13RS-1126 ORIGINAL
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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 51
BY SENATOR MILLS
SENATE. Designates April 25, 2013, as "School-Based Health Center Awareness Day".
A RESOLUTION1
To designate April 25, 2013, as "School-Based Health Center Awareness Day".2
WHEREAS, school-based health centers are an important statewide resource helping3
to address the health care needs of underserved and uninsured children, providing needed4
preventative, diagnostic and treatment services, including direct primary and mental health5
care for acute and chronic illnesses, health education, case management assistance, and6
immunizations; and 7
WHEREAS, the centers provide vital counseling for more recently understood health8
care concerns that have replaced infectious diseases as the major ailments of childhood,9
including such risk factors as childhood obesity, smoking, substance abuse, violence, and10
safety issues, as well as behavioral problems ranging from mild to severe; and11
WHEREAS, in 1990, as policy makers became concerned about the high morbidity12
and mortality rates of adolescents, the Office of Public Health was asked to determine the13
feasibility of opening school-based health centers; and 14
WHEREAS, in 1991, the Adolescent School Health Initiative was enacted and15
school-based health centers came into existence; and16
WHEREAS, a center provides convenient access to comprehensive, primary and17
preventive physical and mental health services for public school students at the school site;18 SR NO. 51
SLS 13RS-1126 ORIGINAL
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and1
WHEREAS, as students spend a significant portion of their day on school grounds,2
school-based health centers are accessible, convenient, encourage family and community3
involvement, reduce student absenteeism, reduce parental leave from work for doctor visits,4
and work with school personnel to meet the needs of the students and their families; and5
WHEREAS, school-based health centers complement school nurses and social6
workers, where they exist, since school nurses and social workers are often limited in the7
scope of care they can give students; and8
WHEREAS, the centers are able to provide comprehensive health services to9
students, providing treatment for minor illness and injury, comprehensive physicals,10
behavioral health counseling, treatments for chronic or acute diseases, required vaccines, and11
other beneficial services to enhance the learning environment of a school; and 12
WHEREAS, school-based health centers provide primary and preventative care to13
school age children in twenty-eight parishes throughout Louisiana, in sixty-six school-based14
health centers; and15
WHEREAS, there were 153,000 patient visits to school-based health centers during16
Fiscal Year 2010-2011.17
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana that18
April 25, 2013, is hereby designated as "School-Based Health Center Awareness Day".19
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the20
Louisiana Assembly on School-Based Health Care.21
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
Mills SR No. 51
Designates April 25, 2013, as "School-Based Health Center Awareness Day".