WSU opens its first off-campus clinic
at a Spokane elementary school
Getting to medical appointments can be challenging for families whose children attend Spokane’s Logan Elementary School.
Sometimes, parents are juggling busy work schedules. Often, they don’t have access to reliable transportation.
WSU Health Logan Family Clinic opened in March with the goal of reducing obstacles to care while also providing training opportunities for Washington State University nursing students. Located on the grounds of Logan Elementary School, the clinic offers primary care services to children, their families, and the greater public.
“Schools tend to be community hubs,” says Sarah Fincham, WSU College of Nursing’s interim associate dean of academic affairs and director of faculty practice. “By being here, we’re trying to make health care more accessible and break down some of the barriers for parents. But we’re not just serving school families. Anyone can schedule a visit, and we also accept walk-ins.”
Launched through a partnership with Spokane Public Schools, Logan Family Clinic is the university’s first off-campus health clinic.
<WSU faculty who are nurse practitioners and physicians provide staffing for the clinic, and nursing students will start community health rotations there this fall. Logan Family Clinic offers a range of primary care services and accepts most major insurance plans, Medicare, and Medicaid.
You can get an annual physical, sports exam, or pre-employment screening at the clinic. Be seen for minor illnesses. Get vaccines and cancer screenings. Or receive help managing chronic illnesses like diabetes, asthma, or high blood pressure, among other things.
Logan Elementary serves a diverse neighborhood northeast of Spokane’s downtown. Many of the school’s students have experienced trauma, lack of housing, and food insecurity, says Becky Doughty, director of School Support Services for Spokane Public Schools.
“The clinic idea was born several years ago, really from the perspective of wanting to increase access to health care in the Logan area, which is among our neighborhoods with the greatest needs,” says Doughty (’10, ’12 MN Nursing).
The clinic provides services beyond what school nurses can offer, she says. And it will be an asset for students dealing with ongoing health issues, such as asthma.
“Being able to walk into a clinic during the school day really changes things for students and their families,” Doughty adds. “I love that they can access services in one spot instead of being referred to different places in the community.”
Logan Family Clinic is attached to the school, but it has a separate, outside entrance that members of the public can access during school hours.
Besides the reception area, the clinic has two exam rooms. Future plans call for a third room in the clinic to be used for telehealth appointments for behavioral and mental health services.
(Courtesy Spokane Public Schools)
<During their community health rotations, undergraduate nursing students will be involved with patient care at the clinic, such as taking vitals and giving vaccines. But they’ll also work on projects to understand the community’s needs and develop health education programs for patients.
Beginning next spring, students in WSU’s family nurse practitioner program will start clinical rotations at the clinic, working under a preceptor. And after the clinic starts offering mental health services, students in the psychiatric nurse practitioner program will do clinical training there as well.
The clinic operates under the umbrella of WSU Health, which includes the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, and the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. So faculty and students from all those colleges could be involved with the clinic in the future, Fincham says.
Elizabeth Serven, a nursing student starting her senior year, says she’s interested in pediatric-focused care. If she ends up doing a rotation at Logan Family Clinic, it would be a chance to work with elementary-age students and their families.
“Kids have a positive drive to get better, and I enjoy watching them bounce back from illness,” she says. “This is an opportunity to understand what working in a family clinic would be like and to see repeat patients over time.”
Doughty hopes that working at the Logan Family Clinic will encourage some of the WSU nursing students to consider careers in school-based settings.
“This is a great place to see what access to health care looks like in underserved communities, and why it’s important,” she says.
Courtesy Spokane Public Schools