The first school-based clinic in Johnson County, hosted at Merriam Park Elementary School, is now a year old. This week, the Shawnee Mission School District, Health Partnership Clinic, and Merriam Park marked the occasion by hosting a birthday party.
The birthday party brought together students, staff, and community members to celebrate the medical, dental, and behavioral services that are available to students across the district at the clinic. The clinic is offered through a partnership between Health Partnership Clinic and the Shawnee Mission School District.
To help get the celebration going, students shared songs about being healthy. Amy Falk, CEO of Health Partnership Clinic, Shelby Rebeck, director of health services, and Rachel Fessenden, Merriam Park social worker all shared expressions of thanks for the partnerships that have made this clinic available to students.
“I would just like to express how happy our nurses are to partner with Health Partnership Clinic,” Shelby Rebeck, director of health services said. “This clinic is a powerful resource for achieving health equity among children by placing needed services right here at Merriam Park.”
The event concluded with Health Partnership Clinic partners, Superintendent Dr. Mike Fulton, John Harrington, school nurse, and Dustin Springer instructional coach, playing a game inspired by the board game “Operation” and “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Finally, all students in the school joined in singing “Happy Birthday” to the clinic.
The clinic is open only to Shawnee Mission School District students and their siblings ages birth to 18 years on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For more information about the clinic and when it is open, click here.