Wichita expands private health care program in its schools

The Wichita school system will continue to build private health clinics inside its schools, with a recent decision bringing the total number of schools with the clinics up to six, the Wichita Eagle reported.

When it opens next school year, West High School will the system’s first high school to have such a clinic on campus.

The city’s school board recently approved a contract with Walz Harman Huffman to build a 4,500-square-foot clinic at a cost of nearly a $1 million. The district will own and maintain the building, but GraceMed will ultimately foot the bill for the construction work, lease the space once it’s open and provide the medical resources.

West High School serves one of the Wichita’s poorest communities, with almost 90 percent of the students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Currently, GraceMed operates clinics at three elementary schools and a specialized academy. A clinic is already under construction at a middle school. The clinics are part of GraceMed’s program called Project Oasis, which aims to provide services in what are considered “health care deserts.”

“Our objective is to make sure people, regardless of where they live in this community, have easy access to quality health care,” GraceMed CEO Dave Sanford told the Eagle.