Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants

School-based health centers (SBHCs) are a novel approach to improving student, family and staff access to preventative, acute and chronic disease care, including mental health care, with the potential to decrease health disparities. The Augusta University/University of Georgia (AU/UGA) Medical Partnership began delivery of free health care to eligible members of the Athens Community in 2017 through the AU/UGA Medical Partnership Mobile/Athens Free Clinic (MPM/AFC). A free mobile/pop-up teaching clinic the MPM/AFC partners with 10 communities, including 5 sites in Clarke County School District (CCSD) schools. The CCSD is planning a new SBHC on the grounds of Clarke Middle School to open Fall 2022. By leveraging existing partnerships between several UGA departments, the CCSD and the Northeast Health District/Department of Public Health (NEHD), the MFM/AFC  will  create a collaborative,

multidisciplinary school-based health center, and pilot the collaboration AY 2022-2023. Utilizing UGA faculty and AU/UGA Medical Partnership faculty physicians to teach and supervise residents and medical students in a high-impact experiential learning activity while serving the school district population, we can address social determinants of health and disparities through a range of services and generate further opportunities for service and community-centered research.

Team Lead

Suzanne Lester
Department of Family Medicine
slester@uga.edu

Team Members

Theresa RohrKirchgraber
Department of Clinical Medicine

Carrie Kelly
Department of Pediatrics

Marguerita Tresa Chappell
Department of Pediatrics

Lia Bruner
Department of Family Medicine

Jean Chin
Department of Clinical Medicine

Edward A. Delgado-Romero
Department of Counseling/Clinica La K’ech

Megan Ford
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Jason Cade
School of Law