The Mansfield School Board approved a new lease agreement with Mercy Clinic Fort Smith on July 1 after terminating a previous contract with the health care provider in March.
The new contract puts an emphasis on serving the district's students and staff, said Robert "Robin" Ross, district superintendent. Ross said the contract states that adequate staff must be provided at the district's school-based health clinic to meet demand.
A $36,000 lease payment will also be paid to the district by Mercy, Laura Keep, clinic spokesman, said in an email. She said the district will pay back $12,000 to the clinic after each year of service. Mercy's previous agreement with the district did not have an upfront cost.
The contract will be for three years, Keep said. She said there is a clause that allows termination without cause with 120 days notice. Termination can't happen within the first year of the contract, she said.
Mercy Clinic President Cole Goodman said in a news release that the health care organization is "pleased to continue" its relationship with the school.
"Having the clinic located inside the school has proven to offer a comfortable, convenient location to both the community and students," Goodman said in the release.
Keep previously said the clinic averaged about 350 visits per month.
Ross said student and staff needs were not being met in the previous contract. He said this included long wait times for students.
While based in Mansfield Elementary School, the clinic is still open to the general public, Ross said.
"They did well with the community," Ross said. "They just weren't taking care of the school side of it."
The district renovated space at Mansfield Elementary School for the health center after receiving a $500,000 grant in December 2012 from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, Ross said. The 9,100-square-foot health center opened last year.
Ross said some Mercy staff changes will also make the clinic run more efficiently. The staff changes were not a part of the contract.
"I am excited about those changes," Ross said. "I think that is what the issue was."
Health is important to academics, Ross said. He said having health care options at the facility helps students address health concerns. Students are able to see physicians while at school without parents having to leave work, Ross said.
Services must also be provided regardless of a student's ability to pay, Ross said. He said this includes wellness exams.
Valley Behavior Health System is also contracted by the district to provide mental health services at the health clinic, Ross said. A dentist will begin providing services at the start of the 2014-15 school year. Neither of the providers pay an upfront cost to lease the facility, Ross said.
The district also has applied for another grant that could help it purchase optometrist's equipment. If the grant is awarded, the district plans to contract with an optometrist in the region.
Metro on 07/16/2014