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February 21, 2003

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"University of Florida Researchers: School-Based Clinics Step Toward Health Care Reform" Boston Globe (www.boston.com/globe) (02/19/03)

Barbara Rienzo and James Button, two University of Florida professors, have published a book on America's school-based clinics, which numbered 1,400, in 2000 compared to only 200 in 1990, according to Rienzo.  Such clinics "have gained acceptance because of the unique role they play," she says, since most of them are located in cities' poorer sections and offer health care to typically uninsured youths.  They offer such services as physical exams, vaccinations, mental health services, and reproductive services. Button says one study reveals that school-based clinics boost graduation rates among high school students; however, some critics say the clinics encourage sexual activity and abortion among young people, and consequently, only 25 percent now provide contraceptives and birth control counseling.  Meanwhile, state funding for the health centers is becoming increasingly scarce amid the sluggish economy, says Button, although state funding for the clinics increased to $61.9 million in 2000, up from $17 million in 1992.  The researchers say the clinics are expanding most rapidly in the suburban areas of the South, Southwest, and Midwest regions of the country.

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