Confluence Academies and Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care have partnered to provide students, staff, and families with fast, easily accessible urgent care services.
Confluence patients will have access to both virtual and in-person services at Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care centers in Maplewood, Clayton, Kirkwood, Oakville, and Fenton.
The University of Missouri-Columbia sponsors the Old North Academy, South City Academy, Aspire Academy, Confluence Preparatory Academy, and Grand Center Arts Academy. According to its website, Confluence Academies’ five schools serve nearly 2,700 students,
“Confluence Academies school nurses will now have a unique ability to work with families and medical providers to address urgent medical needs while a student is still at school through Mercy-GoHealth virtual healthcare services,” Candice Carter-Oliver, Confluence Academies CEO, said in a release.
“School-based health care has become an important method of health care delivery for youth who are confronted with financial, cultural and geographic barriers.”
Students, parents, and school nurses can directly arrange care during the school day – including virtual appointments from school campuses at Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care. Its locations are open daily with both evening and holiday hours. It accepts most major insurance plans.
The initiative provides medical access for students who might not otherwise be able to get in to see a provider due to lack of transportation or long appointment waiting lists.
Confluence Academies families will also have access to the Mercy network, which includes referrals to Mercy specialists when needed, follow up care with Mercy primary care doctors when needed and access to test results through MyMercy.
“Ensuring convenient access to affordable, on-demand healthcare is one of the most important things we can do to keep our communities well,” said Jamie Zengotita, medical director Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care. “Initiatives like this break down barriers to access so that students get the care they need, when they need it.”
Mercy-GoHealth sites offer tests and treatment for COVID-19, strep and flu [among other illnesses], provide sport or school physicals and even take same day X-rays for injuries.
Confluence staff, students and families can find more information or make an appointment for any urgent care needs at: https://www.gohealthuc.com/dte/mercy-st-louis/confluence.
SLPS has partnered with Hazel health Inc., to provide telehealth care services free of charge to all students.
With parental permission, all district students, regardless of insurance, will have access to pediatricians and physician assistants who can conduct exams, diagnose illness, and prescribe over-the-counter medications from school nurses’ offices.
“This is a major move toward making healthcare accessible to our students and at no cost to families,” said Michael Brown, director of Student Support Services
“Insurance is not required to receive services. Insurance information will be collected, and insured families may see an explanation of benefits from their insurer, but the uninsured or underinsured will always receive care with Hazel.
Kelvin Adams, retiring SLPS superintendent, said the district is “excited to bring healthcare services to our students and parents.”
“Many struggle to get the proper care for a variety of reasons including work schedules, lack of insurance or lack of transportation. This is an important addition to our services to families and to maintaining healthy, safe school environments in the midst of COVID-19 recovery.”
Confluence, SLPS gun safety
Following the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School shootings that left a teacher and student dead and seven people wounded, many school, civic, and political leaders reiterated that gun violence is a public health issue.
Confluence and St. Louis Public Schools have launched programs to help end child gun violence throughout the city and Carter-Oliver told ksdk.com, “We do as educators see this as a crisis in our community.”
She said the curriculum will allow students to explore their role in eliminating gun violence.
“It’s going to look like some literature and being able to share some information in terms of questions to ask. It’s going to look like using social media platforms and some tangible items” she said.
George Sells, director of communications for SLPS, called the effort to reduce child gun violence and deaths “a fight.”
“It’s kids in danger and what can we do as educators do to get them out of danger,” he said.
“We’re educators. That’s what we do best. Having kids in school, having material in school is probably going to be the most effective thing we can do,” Sells continued.”
