Believing that children learn better when they are healthy, Providence Hospitals along with a group of committed community citizens established Healthy Learners, formerly Health Reach, in 1992 to help alleviate health related barriers to learning that face our community's economically disadvantaged children. The program began by offering services to five Columbia inner city elementary schools but over the years, the program in the Midlands area experienced tremendous growth. The dream of replication of the Healthy Learners model and statewide expansion of the program became reality in the fall of 2005 as 3 new programs opened in different regions of the state; one in Allendale (Lowcountry), one in Dillon (PeeDee) and one in Greenwood (Upstate). In January of 2009, another Healthy Learners program opened in Georgetown County. Currently the five Healthy Learners programs serve 139 schools in ten school districts across South Carolina. 

Healthy Learners services include vision care, dental care, hearing evaluations, assistance with prescription medications, clinical counseling and episodic care for other health concerns. Over the years, thousands of children have received health care services statewide and thousands of miles have been traveled while transporting children to their health care appointments.

As a result of being served by Healthy Learners, our program evaluation outcome measures have documented a large number of children with health status improvement, increased self-esteem and improved ability to perform academically in school. Not only have Healthy Learners' children improved their academic performance, the immense health disparities that economically disadvantaged children face are being narrowed.  

Healthy Learners Midlands

Healthy Learners Midlands serves all elementary and middle schools in Richland School Districts One and Two and Lexington School Districts Two and Four and also St. Martin de Porres Catholic School and Epworth Children's Home. This service area includes 90 schools across a large geographic area of the Midlands. Economically disadvantaged students with identified health needs and little or no means of funding, are referred to Healthy Learners by their school nurse. Transportation to and from school to appointments is a unique and vital link to the success of the Healthy Learners program.

An overview of the needs of children in both Richland and Lexington Counties outlines several important facts. The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) program reports that 9.2% of residents under the age of 18 in Lexington County and 12% of residents under the age of 18 in Richland County are uninsured. According to the State Department of Education's website the 2008 free and reduced lunch percentages for the four Healthy Learners Midlands districts are as follows: Richland One 62.2%, Richland Two 39.18%, Lexington Two 55.59% and Lexington Four 68.15%. The 2008 Kid's Count data reports that 76.4% of parents with children ages 6-17 years old were in the labor force in Richland County, however 16.5% of children in the same age range live in poverty. In Lexington County, 74.6% of parents with children ages 6-17 years old were in the labor force with 9.9% of children in the same age range living in poverty. Children in single parent families made up 59.5% of all the children living in poverty in Richland County and made up 60.7% of all the children living in poverty in Lexington County. Also according to Kid's Count data, 37.9% of students in Richland County and 31.5% of students in Lexington County did not graduate from school.

Families with uninsured and underinsured children are often unable to meet the financial obligations of health care and the lack of transportation makes health care access even more difficult. The Healthy Learners staff is committed to eliminating health barriers to learning for the children of Richland and Lexington Counties by providing access to health care.

 

 

2711 Middleburg Drive - Suite 206 - Columbia, SC - 29204 | (803)454-0350 | info@healthylearners.com

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