Next year, a health clinic will be installed in the school to help the Arvada community. This particular clinic is unique because it is currently only being offered at Jefferson, Golden,  and Arvada High School.

The main purpose of this clinic is to help families in the area who don’t have enough money to afford a trip to the hospital, as well as those who have medicaid, but low income.

“Lots of our students are on medicaid or free and reduced lunch or could be listed as homeless,” Principal Gina Rivas said. “So if they put the health clinic in there, that’s easy access. Plus I think the reason why it would be great to have a health clinic is so we can get our community in the building .” 

There will be a separate entrance for the clinic within the school and administration is debating putting the clinic by the resource room on the first floor. It will be open on some evenings & Saturdays. This program will help students along with other families, or individuals, who may not attend the high school.

“It’s a community clinic not just for the school,” administrator Jeri Raabe said.

The Metro Community Provider Network (MCPN) clinic is organizing this clinic to aid low income families and health insurance providers. If a child or student becomes really sick, then parents can just take them to the clinic at the school without worrying about the hassle that can come with going to a hospital.

“If someone is not caught up in their immunization, they can just go to the clinic with their parents,” said Raabe.

The health clinic will not replace the school clinic- the school clinic will always be here when a student has a headache or is not feeling well. The school cannot refer over to the MCPN clinic, but parents can take their students here if they feel it necessary to do so.

 “This will be the a great opportunity to help out families in need,” said Rivas.