CAMDEN — Camden Fairview School District Superintendent Mark Keith told the Camden News that the site visit by representatives of the Arkansas Department of Education School Health Service Office on Tuesday was a success.
The visit was held regarding the possibility of funding for a School Based Health Clinic on one of the campuses within the Camden Fairview School District.
“I was humbled by the turnout of community members.” Keith said, "The ladies on the committee specifically mentioned to me how impressed they were with our community support concerning the School Based Health Center. We had over 100 people in the auditorium. They (the representatives) said they’ve never been to a meeting (for an SBHC) with more than 40 people in attendance. We were very well represented, and that says a lot about the people in our community. I thank everyone for coming.”
The site visit included an introduction and Q and A with the State SBHC Team and community members. During the discussion, the team discussed necessities and expectations, had questions answered by Keith and other community members, and answered any questions community members had for them. No question went unanswered, and several community leaders - including C.F. School Board President Eddie Moore, Ouachita County Judge Robbie McAdoo, and Ouachita County Medical Center President/CEO Peggy Abbot - stood and gave well-received speeches that all ended in an ovation.
After the SSBHC Team finished their community interview, they split into three groups: Administration, Mental Health, and Physical Health. Experts from the community that will be involved with the SBHC joined each of these groups and discussed the detailed working processes of an SBHC. Administration discussed finances, Mental and Physical Health discussed medical requirements along with third-party involvement and other scenarios.
The decision as to whether Camden will receive the funding for the SBHC will be announced within the next three weeks according to Keith, who said he wouldn’t be surprised to hear from them sooner. Keith and his staff have been steadfast throughout this entire process, and remain optimistic about the decision.
The SSBHC Team did announce to the community that Camden was in their top three school choices to possibly receive the SBHC. According to Keith, C.F. School Nurse Kristi Dean, and Grant Writer Tammy Lewis, typically four schools are chosen to receive funding each year for the SBHC.
Keith announced to the community last week the need for community support concerning a site visit for an SBHC in Camden, and he stated that the clinic would probably be locat