ROCK HILL, S.C. — The Rock Hill School District is partnering with Affinity Health Center to seek solutions for barriers to health care.
Affinity is building a multi-service clinic inside Belleview Elementary School. The clinic will offer physical and mental health support for the district’s students and their families at low, and sometimes, no cost.
“School-based health is really good for kids because if you can take services to where people are, then you're removing barriers," explained Anita Case, CEO of Affinity Health Center.
Affinity is a nonprofit community health center that provides low-cost care in York County. Case said that no insurance is needed and no one is turned away if they can’t pay. "Most of the people we serve here at our main site pay $10."
Thanks to a $350,000 federal grant, the new clinic being built at Belleview will offer primary care, physicals, mental health support, and more to students and the greater Rock Hill community.
"We want to create an opportunity for the kids in the district to get access to whatever health care they need that they might not have access to, or might be more challenging to access," said Case.
About 60% of Rock Hill students live in poverty, according to state data. District spokesperson Lindsay Machak said this clinic will offer them a much-needed resource.
"We’re just really excited about it because our families are in need," said Machak.
Affinity has a smaller school health center at York Middle that is just for students. Case said she’s excited to expand to a second, bigger one that will help the entire community, especially with mental health.
"If there are counseling needs that the district is not able to meet, we certainly want to fill that gap," Case said.
Case added that both York County school districts she has spoken with identified mental health as their biggest concern. The center will work with district counselors to help fill gaps in care and provide prescriptions when needed.
The Belleview Center is set to open in January 2024.
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