On Thursday, March 20^th in its third week of operation, the MetroHealth Teen Health Clinic served a steady stream of students coming in for health care services. Clinic staff said most of the students it has seen in the first few weeks of operation have come to receive physicals required to participate in school sports.

The clinic, housed outside the school in a trailer provided by the City of Cleveland, has four MetroHealth staff members servicing Lincoln West students each Thursday morning. In addition a City of Cleveland staff person helps to escort students to and from the trailer. MetroHealth staff said they expect to have a MetroHealth trailer in place for the start of next school year in August

The Teen Clinic, while accepting insurance if students have it, provides health care at no cost to the students. MetroHealth covers the cost of any insurance copays and helps families to sign up for health care coverage.

The clinic represents a step forward in providing community wraparound services to Lincoln West High School, one of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Investment Schools. Speaking at an Investment School meeting in February, Lincoln West High School Principal Dr. Irene G. Javier said she expects the MetroHealth Teen Clinic to help reduce absenteeism at the school by helping students to address both social-emotional and physical health issues.