A​t the intersection of education and health, School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are transforming the way youth access care. SBHCs remove common barriers to health services by bringing medical, dental, and behavioral health care directly to students in the place where they spend much of their day. These health centers are more than just clinics—they are trusted spaces promoting wellness, addressing chronic conditions, and supporting mental health, all while minimizing time away from learning. In Oregon, 74% of SBHCs are sponsored by a Federally Qualified Health Center. SBHCs partner with schools, families, and local organizations to ensure students—especially those in under-resourced or rural communities—can thrive. This dedication to service makes them well-positioned to deliver culturally responsive, patient-centered care.

Today, OPCA is illustrating Oregon health centers’ role in increasing health care access at schools, and how our team plans to support FQHC-sponsored SBHCs.

To start, Kate O’Donnell and Rebecca Jacobs with the Oregon Health Authority School-Based Health Center Program, shared what SBHCs look like in Oregon. There are 87 SBHCs, with about 65 of these clinics sponsored by an FQHC. SBHC sponsoring agencies are responsible for providing health services or operational support at a clinic. These sponsors ensure the consistent delivery of medical, behavioral, and preventive health care to students regardless of their ability to pay. To receive funding through the SBHC State Program Office (SPO), an SBHC must complete the SPO certification process:

“Health centers receive the SBHC Standards for Certification to understand all the requirements to become a certified site. The standards outline minimum state requirements for SBHC facility and operations, care services and coordination, and data reporting. After a clinic applies and submits required materials, one of the registered nurses on our team, like Rebecca, visits the site and works with the staff.”

Kate O’Donnell, School-Based Health Center Program Team Lead, OHA

During these visits, Rebecca Jacobs, Public Health Nurse with the OHA SBHC Program, will assess the facility and interview staff to ensure all certification standards are met. The goal of standardization is to clearly define a model in Oregon, with a focus on evidence-based practices for quality improvement in serving adolescent populations. Currently, La Clinica is going through this process to certify its new health center in the Rogue River School District. The health center will be ready to see students starting September 8th.

For an inside look at SBHCs, I spoke with staff from La Clinica and Nehalem Bay Health Center & Pharmacy.

Upon learning about the support that SBHC care teams provide to students, I was struck by the realization that students are not just patients, but also key players within the SBHC system. Intrigued by the various ways students engage with SBHCs, I spoke with Maureen Hinman, Executive Director of the Oregon School-Based Health Alliance (OSBHA). She highlighted that, in addition to providing education and technical assistance, the Alliance places a strong emphasis on incorporating student feedback for quality improvement. This student-centered approach aligns with the key goal of standardizing the Oregon SBHC model to enhance health services for adolescent populations. To provide youth-centric health services, it’s crucial to understand a student’s experience at the health center. A prime example of this is Nehalem Bay Health Center & Pharmacy, which recently appointed a student to its Board to inform policies and procedures that impact them at the SBHC level.

Recognizing the significant role of SBHCs in improving community health, OPCA is convening an SBHC workgroup. This group, comprising FQHC representatives and public health partners, including the Oregon School-Based Health Alliance, will serve as a platform for knowledge exchange and collective problem-solving. This initiative will be instrumental in OPCA’s efforts to transform primary care in Oregon. A question I asked Maureen was, “What is the potential of partnering with OPCA to support FQHC-sponsored SBHCs?”. In response, she shared:

“School-Based Health Centers are often thought of as a program instead of a whole clinic. It is important to align SBHCs with the clinical operations of their medical sponsors to set the clinic up for success. We’ve partnered with OPCA several times in the past, and excited to do so again to strengthen the collaboration between SBHCs and Federally Qualified Health Centers.”

Maureen Hinman, Executive Director, Oregon School-Based Health Alliance

This comment resonates with the parting words from my conversations with the staff at La Clinica and Nehalem Bay Health Center & Pharmacy: