The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System and St. Joseph’s/Candler are creating an innovative health screening clinic that will provide free services for the public and real world experience for students.

The Community Education and Health Screening Clinic at Beach High School will be staffed by Allied Health Medical Specialty students and give free health screenings to community members. The students, in turn, get experience working with and serving actual patients.

“This new program is exciting on so many levels.  It fits in perfectly with our vision that all students are prepared for productive futures.    This component of our Allied Health Program also allows us to fulfill a commitment we made upon the construction of this new school to the surrounding neighborhoods and to the A.E. Beach High School alumni.  We are part of this community!  Our goal is to lead students to their full potential through excellence in academics, arts, athletics, and service to the community.  These clinical services will help us reach this goal and build a stronger community,” said Superintendent Dr. Ann Levett.

“It’s our responsibility to train the next generation and at the same time inspire them to excel,” said Paul P. Hinchey, President & CEO of St. Joseph’s/Candler. “We want to spark their interest in healthcare so they become registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, clinical dietitians, physicians or any of the numerous disciplines that the field of healthcare has to offer. We want to inspire their love of medicine and healthcare with the same passion that Alfred E. Beach had for science in general.”

The program will:

• Provide practical hands-on education and supervised training opportunity for future healthcare professionals.

• Provide a convenient healthcare access point and health screening outlet to the community in and around Beach High School as well as target the community’s uninsured and underinsured residents.

• Provide follow-up lab results, counseling and health education to participants.

• Help identify personal health risks and history that may place individuals at risk for the development of chronic disease and associated complications. Educate them on how to reduce those risks.

• Assist participants in accessing follow-up for healthcare services.

• Enhance active curriculum of the area’s magnet school for healthcare related studies, while advancing St. Joseph’s/Candler’s current health training partnership.

The clinic will be open in January and be available 20 hours a week for patients. Along with the students, it will be staffed by a St. Joseph’s/Candler nurse practitioner.

The nurse practitioner will supervise and assist all students in improving both their hard and soft skill-sets, such as lab draws, communicating results to patients and health education. The students, under the supervision of the NP will draw the labs, and complete the follow-up education regarding all participants’ personal risk factors.

The comprehensive health screenings will include the measurement of:

• Height

• Weight

• Blood Pressure

• Blood Cholesterol

• Blood Glucose

• Aerobic Fitness

This clinic will be open to area residents in addition to students, staff and Alumnae. The screenings will be free to those who lack insurance.  All participants who receive screenings will be required to attend an onsite counseling session.

St. Joseph’s/Candler and the school system have a long history of working together to give students experience in a healthcare setting. Most recently, the Patient Care Technician Apprentice Program was launched last year where students from Beach High School and Woodville-Tompkins High School work at least 20 hours a week providing bedside care for St. Joseph’s/Candler patients.

Healthcare needs will continue to grow in the coming years and getting students prepared for the high-paying healthcare workforce is a high priority. These programs between St. Joseph’s/Candler and the school will be important to make sure the community is well served in the future.