PEHS School-based Health Center to celebrate 10th anniversary this week

The School-based Health Center at Proviso East High School will celebrate its 10th anniversary this week. Faculty and students at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON) opened the health center a decade ago to educate teens about health and to provide primary health care, mental health and nutrition services to keep young people well, so they can succeed in school.

"Ten years ago, we saw a need to help students in the community make informed choices about their health. These teens were dealing with poor access to primary health care and lack of knowledge about positive life style choices. Having a full-service health center staffed by nurse practitioners, physicians, social workers and dietitians within the school allows students to get health care when they need it instead of missing school for appointments," said Diana Hackbarth, RN, PhD, FAAN, professor and program director, MNSON. "Since then, we have expanded health promotion programs in classrooms, after school, and in neighboring elementary schools, helping thousands of students live healthier lives through the center."

Faculty, students and staff will celebrate the anniversary at an open house from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, and Thursday, April 12, in the School-based Health Center at 807 S. First Ave., Maywood, Ill. This will take place in conjunction with the annual health fair, which is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on both days in Memorial Hall. Healthy eating, violence prevention and avoiding drugs, alcohol and other risky behaviors will be among the topics Loyola faculty, students and community partners will address at the health fair.

The School-Based Health Center, which is supported by federal, state and private foundation funding, provides easy access to health-care services for students. The center's nutrition programs include education, counseling, weight-loss guidance, healthy lunch groups and junk-food free zones where students can eat nutritional snacks. These efforts intend to enhance school performance, fight obesity and improve the health of students. The programs also increase dietary variety and offer tips for healthy meals that students can share with their families.

"Our students fuel their bodies with healthy food and information, making them more likely to thrive in and outside of the classroom," said Joanne Kouba, PhD, RD, LDN, assistant professor and director of the dietetic intern program, MNSON. "We look forward to continuing to serve the community and to offering a healthy environment for teens in this underserved area."

Source: Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing