Don’t Fall for Sham
Recently you ran an editorial entitled “The Real Issue Is Students’ Health.” In that editorial it was opined that a previous attempt at establishing a health clinic failed at a San Diego high school because of “protests from the Roman Catholic Church and from some narrow-minded parents who objected to the possibility that the clinic might dispense birth-control information or devices.” I was a member of the Advisory Committee of the San Diego Unified School District, and future funding, the role of school districts in solving social problems, the primacy of curriculum and an upcoming election had a part in the decision to forgo further exploration of the concept.
Now a joint effort of city, county and school district officials, under the umbrella of “New Beginnings” is attempting a way of coordination of services and saving resources by non-duplication of effort.
While such an effort must be applauded, it is unfortunate that the divisive issue of a school-based clinic has been introduced into the picture. It is truly in the best interests of the proposers of “New Beginnings” to clearly and quickly state that a school-based health clinic is not and will not be a part of their considerations.
The example cited in the Feb. 19 editorial was informative but also misleading. It is true that parents may sign consent forms to specify which services their children may receive. It should also be known that access to reproductive health services may be obtained without parental consent. Thus, while your child may need your consent for an eye exam or medication, they can obtain a pregnancy test or birth-control devices without parental consent.
Private funding of clinics is advanced as an important reason for utilizing school-based health clinics since it saves district funds and offers expanded services without direct cost to the district.
The other side of this truth is that private funding is usually a combination of foundation grants, federal or state funds and donations most often with a fixed percentage match of dollars or resources from the school district. Several of the large foundations supporting school-based health clinics require family planning services as a part of the range of services for funding purposes (i.e. no birth-control, no support). The federal and state funds are tax-collected monies supporting the Office of Family Planning or the implementation of the Adolescent Pregnancy Planning Act (hardly what I call private funds).
If the real issue is students’ health, why doesn’t the Board of Education target certain at-risk schools and generate an expanded health care program with their school nurses? If the real issue is students’ health, why hasn’t there been a greater coordination of health care prior to this time? Health care for the poor is a shambles nationwide; indigent health care in our county is a disaster. Medicare providers are bailing out of service delivery daily.
To presume that a health clinic on or near a school campus will resolve health care problems is naive at best. Referrals for service after the screenings at the campus clinic must be dealt with and funded. Access to health care is desperately needed, but let us not fall for a sham delivery system.
THE REV. DOUGLAS REGIN
St. Francis Church
Vista
