FORT WORTH, Texas — A shuttered health clinic on a Fort Worth public school campus will soon reopen, providing medically-underserved students easier access to a doctor.
Fort Worth ISD has partnered with The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (HSC) to operate the clinic at Eastern Hills High School. School board trustees approved the agreement Tuesday.
District officials expect clinic operations will begin in November, and initially open only on Wednesdays. With parents' consent, district health staff will refer students to the clinic for behavioral health care.
"Healthier students perform better academically," said Fort Worth ISD director of family and community resources Ottis Goodwin. "If we're catching that physical health element early, then it's going to be helpful. If we're treating things and can do the behavioral health piece earlier, then that's going to be better."
Doctors will work out of the same building that previously housed the clinic run by Tarrant County's public hospital, JPS Health Network.
In 2021, the hospital closed roughly 15 of its school-based clinics around Fort Worth.
At the time, JPS leaders argued that students would find more reliable health care at Cook Children's neighborhood clinics. But it's harder for uninsured children to obtain health care at those clinics.
The on-campus clinics were also more convenient for some students, especially those who rely on district transportation to get to class.
"Starting this clinic at Eastern Hills as a pilot made the most sense -- being able to serve a population that needs us the most," said Noah Drew, HSC's associate vice president of special projects.
Data indicates Eastern Hills' facility was a "high-use" clinic when JPS Health Network operated offices across Fort Worth ISD, Drew said. A significant portion of students there are uninsured, he and Goodwin noted.
The existing building's presence also made restarting the clinic at Eastern Hills easier, too. But the small office will need some renovation, Goodwin said.
"Our goal here is to have an integrated health clinic," Goodwin said. "They can receive their basic medical care, but in addition to that, have behavioral health services."
Eventually, clinics could open at more schools, Drew said. Meanwhile, HSC will continue to serve students across Fort Worth with its pediatric mobile clinic, where children can get vaccines, take physicals and undergo check-ups.
"This is actually part of a broader agreement that allows us to provide health services across the district, in addition to the school-based health center at Eastern Hills," Drew said. "Being able to alleviate needs and help people live healthier, longer, better lives is what we're all about."
Drew noted the clinic will also provide HSC students an opportunity to get hands-on experience with pediatric patients.
Fort Worth ISD officials are meeting with HSC leaders now to hammer out more details about the Eastern Hills clinic's operations.