During the 2024-25 school year, Moorhead Area Public Schools and Family HealthCare partnered to launch a school-based health clinic (SBHC) located inside the Moorhead High School Career Academy. The clinic opened in September with a goal of reducing classroom time lost to medical situations.
A study published in the Journal of School Health found that “SBHCs significantly reduced the number of early dismissals from school,” which for Hafsa Musa, PA-C, the medical provider at the Career Academy-based clinic, boils down to a simple concept.
“It’s location,” stated Musa. “Being in the school gives us the advantage of convenience: when a student comes to us, we are frequently able to identify and treat their problem and have them on their way back to class in 15-20 minutes, cutting down on class time they’d otherwise miss. Students also generally have more ‘acute’—not long-term—problems that they’d come to a clinic for, which also makes treatment faster.”
Given the clinic’s relatively recent opening, it also offers minimal wait times for not only student patients but their families, staff and community members who walk in.
For student patients, the SBHC also provides the opportunity to gain familiarity with being a patient, bolstering their confidence for future provider visits.
“With kids, we want to develop a good relationship,” explained Musa, “where they can have a comfortable conversation about what they’re experiencing. That comfort can make for a lifelong lesson on seeing providers and advocating for themselves because now they have that experience asking questions.”
On top of creating a friendly environment for students, the clinic also aims to build their knowledge and help them understand the “why” of their treatments.
“We believe in motivational questioning, such as ‘what is it about visiting the clinic that scares you?’ to determine where this fear comes from,” said Musa. “It’s important for the students to know that we’re trying to help them. If there’s a part of their visit that might make them uncomfortable, we explain the reason we’re doing that, and how they can manage if there’s pain or discomfort after their visit is over.”
The clinic is located inside Door #4 at the MHS Career Academy in the southwest corner of the building. Elementary and middle school students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian; before any student can be seen, their parent or guardian must complete the Family HealthCare consent forms, located on the district Health Services website.
Students are not the only patients who can be seen at the SBHC: families, staff and community members are also eligible for services. Family HealthCare accepts most insurances, including Medicaid. They also offer a sliding fee discount program based on family size and income. To see if you qualify, call (701) 271-3344 and set up a meeting with the Enrollment Team.