Clinics In Schools was founded in July, 2009 by Doctor Noah Kohn as a non-profit, charitable organization, 501(c)(3), to provide school-based health care to the children of Nevada. We currently provide free primary-care medical services at two free-standing clinics located on the campuses of Reynaldo Martinez Elementary School in North Las Vegas and Sister Cynthia Cunningham Elementary School in the eastern part of Las Vegas. Services are provided completely free to any child under the age of 18, and to anyone 18 or older who is still enrolled in school. Together, they are the only completely free, healthcare centers for children in the state of Nevada that are open full time and on a year-round basis. The need for such care was recently reaffirmed by the 2008-2009 annual survey of the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy, which showed that more than 18% of children starting Kindergarten in Nevada have no form of health insurance.
The clinics were initially built and developed by the Nevada chapter of Communities In Schools, a national, non-profit, drop-out prevention program, as part of its mission to create an environment in which “at-risk” children can succeed academically. (The buildings themselves were donated by a local builder.) For the year and a half prior to the founding of Clinics In Schools, these clinics were managed by another local clinic, for which Doctor Kohn served as the Pediatric Medical Director. In the three years since the opening of the clinics, they have provided Well-Child care, sports physicals, sick care and vaccinations to over 14,000 children, and over 5,000 children were seen in 2010.
Beginning in early 2010, we launched a partnership to create a preventative dental health program, Future Smiles. This innovative program, created by staff from the Nevada State Health Division and the Community Coalition for Oral Health of Nevada, has been funded by a grant from Oral Health America. Working in conjunction with the medical staff of Clinics In Schools, Future Smiles has been providing dental cleanings, fluoride varnishes, and dental sealants for our patients. When appropriate, referrals for more extensive dental services, including restorative work, are available for our patients.
In addition to the full-time staff of Clinics In Schools, attending, resident, and student physicians from the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Advanced Practice Nursing students from UNLV, and nursing students from the College of Southern Nevada have regularly participated in the care of our patients. Other collaborations include case management provided by Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused and Neglected Children, and free prescription medicines provided by Children’s Medical Assistance of Las Vegas. We also have begun to develop an affiliation with the Nevada State College School of Nursing to expand services at the Basic High School School-based Health Center. We will continue to maintain our strong ties to Communities In Schools, which has committed to assisting our efforts in developing relationships with other community partners.
As we grow, we plan to expand our service area to include Carson City, Washoe County, and the rural communities of our state. Furthermore, and in recognition of the need for comprehensive health care services in a “medical home,” we hope to develop programs to provide basic laboratory, vision, and mental health services.
350 Judson Avenue, North Las Vegas Nevada 89030