LOWER LAKE, Calif. – New health services now are available to students at the Konocti Wellness Center, located at Lower Lake High School.
Officials said the center has added dental and nutrition services, effective this month.
The center, part of the St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake network of Rural Health Clinics, opened in June 2013 as the result of a partnership between the hospital and the Konocti Unified School District.
It is one of just three similar programs nationwide.
The center was funded by a Health Resources and Services Administration grant totaling $444,200, or 91 percent of the project. In addition, $45,000 – or 9 percent – came from a local funding source.
The new services are part of a long-term plan to improve the health and academic performance of students in the district.
“Communities in Lake County have been hit especially hard in recent years, and many families have found it increasingly difficult to access health care services,” says David Santos, chief executive officer of St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake. “We’re committed to improving the health and well-being of all our communities, and especially our youth. By placing dental care and nutrition services on campus, we’re able to reach out with basic health care and preventive services right where the most at-risk youth are.”
Under the leadership of Medical Director Dr. David Lounsberry, a family practice physician, the center currently provides school physicals, well-child physical exams, immunizations, treatment of minor illnesses, chronic disease management, health education, fitness programs and behavioral health on site. The clinic also provides evaluations and referrals to specialist care as needed.
High levels of student absences due to illness – which resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue to the district – prompted the partnership between the school district and St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, as Lake County News has reported.
With a high local prevalence of preventable conditions like diabetes and heart disease, ensuring early intervention and active prevention was urgently needed, officials said.
“Our goal is to help children in our communities to thrive. We’re especially pleased to be able to add dental care and nutrition services,” Santos added. “There is a profound link between chronic disease and poor nutrition, and a growing body of work shows the general health consequences of poor dental health as well. We believe good health should be a basic, not a luxury.”
The Konocti Wellness Center serves about 3,000 K-12 students and 200 children from birth to age 5.
It is located at Lower Lake High School, 9430 Lake Street, Lower Lake.
To make an appointment call 707-995-5630.
Konocti Wellness Center to add dental and nutrition services
- Lake County News reports
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