Thanks to a collaboration between San Antonio ISD and University Health System (UHS), SAISD students and staff can seek medical attention for a variety of minor health conditions close to home. The Health Center West at Tafolla Middle School opens with full-time hours on Feb. 18.
The Health Center, which began offering limited services including immunizations by nursing staff in late January, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on February 25 at 10 a.m. at the center. All are invited.
Health Center West serves students and campus employees from SAISD schools in the West Side Lanier High School feeder and is staffed by a nurse practitioner as well as a nurse, one medical assistant and a registrar - all UHS employees. When fully operational on Feb. 18, the center will serve patients Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The facility is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays only from 1 – 4 p.m. for immunizations and vaccines only.
The health center will provide care for both adults and children for the following issues:
• Minor acute care (ear infections, throat infections, asthma, bronchitis)
• Physical exams/well-child checkups
• Primary Care
• Immunizations
• Sports physicals
• Health education on nutrition, disease and injury prevention
• Medication prescriptions as needed
School nurses will be able to send children to Health Center West after they have assessed the student and determined they need to be seen by a medical provider. Parents can also make appointments by calling 210-644-2000.
In addition to the support from UHS, in collaboration with the SAISD Foundation, the Baptist Health Foundation provided $40,000 worth of furniture for the waiting room and provider offices at the center.
SAISD and UHS plan to open a second health center, Health Center East at Davis Middle School, later this school year. Currently, University Health System also has health centers in Harlandale ISD and Southwest ISD.
The cost of a visit to either health center will depend on a patient’s insurance status at the time of the visit. Private insurance, CHIP, Medicaid, and cash payment arrangements are all accepted. For the underinsured or uninsured, Health Center West staff can help patients make an account with Bexar County’s CareLink financial assistance program.
Health Center West is located on the Tafolla campus, behind the main school building in a stand-alone portable building. The Tafolla campus is on 1303 W. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. San Antonio, Texas, 78207.