Public Health issues 2000-2001 Youth Health Services Report

KING COUNTY, WA - Today, Public Health - Seattle & King County released the 2000-2001 Annual Report on Youth Health Services, a program partially funded by the Seattle Families and Education Levy. The report cites very high student enthusiasm and satisfaction with health center services.

The complete Youth Health Services 2000-2001 Report can be viewed at www.kingcounty.gov/health/yhs

"We're on our way to improving the health of adolescents because it has become much easier for teens to access health care. Services are sensitive to adolescent needs and conveniently located in their schools and communities," said King County Executive Ron Sims.

"Good health is a building block for academic success and better learning," said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. "Youth Health Services is a model program that is successful thanks to the broad support of the community."

Public Health's Youth Health Services collaborates with local health care providers and public schools to administer 11 school-based and two school-linked health centers in Seattle and King County. These comprehensive primary care centers provide medical and mental health screening and treatment.

Youth Health Services enrolled over 9,500 adolescents in Seattle and King County in order to provide them with comprehensive health services during the 2000-2001 school year. Enrollment increased by 19% from the 1999-2000 school year.

The Youth Health Services 2000-2001 report includes:

• an overview of the program and its services
• evaluation data from a user study of the school-based health centers
• visit data from the school-based/linked health centers
• comments and stories from students and staff

"In the past, adolescents have been the group least likely to seek medical care, but this report shows that teens will access teen-friendly services," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County.

At eight Seattle Public High Schools (Cleveland, Franklin, Garfield, Nathan Hale, Rainier Beach, Roosevelt, Sealth, and West Seattle) with school-based health centers:

• over 5,000 students were enrolled, 6% more than in 1999-2000
• 35% of students in these schools were health center users
• health center users made over 15,000 visits
• 42% were illness-related visits; 25% were health maintenance visits; 23% were mental health visits; and 10% were other/unknown

In 2000-2001, services continued at two Seattle Public Middle Schools (Denny and Washington). Services were expanded to Madison Middle school. At the middle school level:

• over 1,000 students were enrolled, 44% more than in 1999-2000
• 20% of students in these schools were health center users
• health center users made over 2,400 visits
• 55% were mental health visits; 26% were illness-related visits; 11 % were health maintenance visits; and 8% were other/unknown

At the two school-linked health centers in Renton and Highline:

• over 3,300 youth were enrolled, 43% more than in 1999-2000
• health center users made over 5,900 visits
• 44% were health maintenance visits; 23% were other/unknown; 22% were illness-related visits; and 11% were mental health visits

User study of the school-based health centers

The report also includes main findings from a survey of school-based health center users completed in November 2001. The survey found:

• health centers are the primary source of care for many of the students who are users.
• 90% of student users report that being able to get health care at school helped them to be more attentive in class.
• a large majority of student users report that they obtained care at the school-based health centers that they otherwise would not have received.

To view all of the results of this survey, please visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/yhs

Youth Health Services also provides administrative oversight for the Teenage and Pregnancy and Parenting Program (TAPP) and the SafeNet program. TAPP provides support, advocacy, and referral services to pregnant teens. SafeNet targets students struggling in their transition from elementary school to middle or junior high school, and then links them with agencies and needed services.