Investigating public attitudes and access to healthcare services provided through school-based health centers
My research on school-based health centers (SBHCs) examines public attitudes toward providing healthcare services in schools and the role these centers play in improving health equity for underserved children. SBHCs provide convenient access to primary care, preventive services, mental health care, and other health services by meeting students where they spend most of their time—in school. These centers have been shown to increase access to care, improve health outcomes, and potentially boost school attendance and academic performance.
Through national surveys of over 4,000 adults, my research has documented broad public support for SBHCs and the services they provide. More than two-thirds of Americans support school-based provision of primary care, preventive care, vaccinations, dental care, vision care, mental health services, and nutrition counseling. This research also reveals how political ideology, partisanship, and trust in school administrators shape attitudes toward specific services, particularly reproductive health services which have generated controversy since SBHCs' inception.
My work, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Program, has focused particularly on rural Appalachian communities in West Virginia. Through site visits, interviews, and focus groups with SBHC providers and school personnel, I have examined what makes SBHCs effective in serving children in under-resourced communities and what training and support staff need to work successfully in school-based settings. These findings inform approaches to expanding and strengthening SBHCs to advance health equity.