Washington High School unveils in-school healthcare center

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. –  As a parent, it isn’t always easy getting your kids to care for if they’re sick especially if that means leaving work and taking them out of school.

That’s why Washington High School in Princess Anne is taking a new approach to making the process a little easier.

The all-new School-Based Health Care center in Washington High School is part of a partnership between the school and Chesapeake Healthcare and means parents won’t have to call out from work if their child is sick at school.

“This would allow for them to be seen through me as if this were a walk-in clinic or urgent care facility, to be seen, set up, and ready to go when a parent is ready to come and get them or they can go back to class if it’s not an issue that’s contagious,” said school nurse Lynne Brumley.

School Nurse Lynne Brumley tells us the center employs on-site nurse practitioners and specialists and will offer covid screenings, strep tests, and even fill prescriptions for students. She says with the center in the school, it saves parents a trip to urgent care or doctor.

“It just makes it convenient for them to have their child seen without having to take off work without having to travel and lose time,” she said.

The center will operate in person Monday Wednesday Friday, with telehealth on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Washington High School’s principal Dr. Chantal Russum tells us the center gives the school many options and is means more than helping sick kids.

For student-athletes, it means they can get their physicals done on-site.

“Before students would not have transportation, those must be done prior to any practice or conditioning so it will speed up the availability of athletes to participate in those things,” she said.

School officials say a program like this existed in the past and they’re thrilled to see it make a return.

“I am just so excited to have the center open it’s going to make a difference for parents, most of our parents work multiple jobs and so it’s difficult to leave work and come to school,” Nurse Brumley said.

She says she hopes to sign up as many parents as possible, as no child can participate in the program without written consent.