Staff at the School-based Health Center located at Grant Union include family nurse practitioner Karen Triplett, left, coordinator and registered nurse Jessica Winegar, support staff Cindy Baker, and mental health counselor SaraJane Moore.

School-based health center

JOHN DAY – The School-based Health Center located at Grant Union Junior-Senior High School offers health care for Grant County students and school staff.

The health center opened last May, and has their doors open again this school year.

“I’m really excited that it’s something we’re able to offer to Grant County to provide them with an alternative and help keep them in school,” said coordinator Jessica Winegar. “It’s just down the hallway, for Grant Union students.”

She wants to let residents know the services are available for all Grant County school-age students and school staff, not just those living in John Day.

Winegar is a registered nurse and also manages the Grant County Health Department.

She said the goal of the school-based health center is to work with families to provide health services, regardless of ability to pay.

Family nurse practitioner Karen Triplett is at the school 10 hours a week, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays. She can prescribe medication, if needed.

Registered nurses Winegar or Jenni Workman are available on Tuesdays from 12-5 p.m.

The health center has two new staff members, including Cindy Baker who provides staff support at the health center office at Grant Union.

The office is located at the north end of the school inside the main building.

Mental health counselor SaraJane Moore, also a new staff member, is available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Winegar said mental health counseling is a welcome and much needed addition to the health center, with Moore available to help with mental health crises on a routine basis.

The health center offers sports physicals, vaccinations and well-child visits.

Patient care also includes: primary care, strep test, rapid flu test, throat cultures, as well as help for headaches, freezing off moles, checking for infection in wounds, and checking iron level, hearing vision, height and weight.

Winegar stated they do not distribute condoms or other forms of birth control at the school.

School vaccinations are given mainly on Tuesday afternoons.

“Twelve-year-old students will need to be up-to-date on Tdap shots by January, and they’ll be excluded from school if they don’t have them by February,” Winegar said.

She noted they will visit outlying schools on Nov. 16 in Long Creek, Monument and Dayville to offer flu shots and school required vaccines.

Winegar has taken over where Lindsay Maghan left off as coordinator last school year.

“Karen Triplett and Lindsay Maghan worked very hard to get this going, along with other Grant County Health Department and Community Counseling Solutions staff,” Winegar said. “They did a wonderful job, and I’m happy to be a part of the Grant County Health Department.”

The medical sponsor for the health center at Grant Union is the county health department.

Winegar said appointments may be made by calling the health department at 541-575-0429, and walk-ins are also welcome.