Among the challenges low-income families face, access to healthcare is just as much a concern as receiving a quality education. One high school in Fresno is working to improve healthcare access for its at-risk students through a new partnership that co-locates a clinic at its learning center.
“We do everything we can to make wraparound services available so our students can concentrate on earning their diploma,” explained Shellie Hanes, area superintendent of Learn4Life, a network of nonprofit charter schools that offers a personalized, flexible program to help former dropouts and students who are falling behind. “Most of our teens do not have access to healthcare, so bringing this service on-site is a huge advantage to our students, especially our teen moms.”
This month United Health Centers (UHC) of the San Joaquin Valley will open a clinic adjacent to Learn4Life Fresno in Manchester Center, so students and their families can access healthcare, including physicals, immunizations, dental and vision. The clinic has committed to providing students and their families with licensed dental, medical and optometry screenings, behavioral health assessments, vaccinations, prenatal services and health education classes. A certified enrollment specialist can help enroll students and their families in Medi-Cal, Covered California and CalFresh. Free COVID-19 testing is available on site.
The new United Health Center in Manchester Center is located at 1901 East Shields Avenue in Fresno and will be open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. beginning on September 14. For more information, visit https://unitedhealthcenters.org/manchester.