The Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center has a variety of ongoing initiatives. Here is a brief listing:

Health Check Study: This analysis was undertaken to learn if West Virginia School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) increase access to primary and preventive health care services. The proportion of students who received their annual Health Check at a SBHC was compared with counties not having SBHCs. The study concluded that in counties with a SBHC, the completion rate for Health Checks was greater than in counties without a SBHC. Further analysis identified critical factors for success and these lessons were shared with all SBHCs.
(More information can be found under Reports)

Improvement Projects: On behalf of the SBHCs, the Marshall staff applied to the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) to participate in two of their initiatives to improve SBHC practice management and mental health. WV was one of two states selected to participate in each initiative. Combined, these two projects brought training and resources to WV valued at over $70,000.

The MHET (Mental Health Education and Training) involved staffs from the two Cabell SBHCs and the two Pendleton SBHCs. Staff participated in several day-long learning sessions on topics including cognitive behavioral therapy, evidence-based programs, coding, integration with primary care, and diagnosis and treatment of common behavioral health problems. During monthly conference calls the staffs set goals for program improvement and developed work plans with the national training faculty.
(More information on this can be found within the Toolkit)

The Practice Improvement Project involved the Riverside SBHC and the three SBHC sites in Clay County. Consultants from NASBHC visited the programs to conduct program management assessments and chart audits. An in-state team consisting of representatives from the Marshall TA staff, the Division of Primary Care, and AppalHealth, Inc. was trained by national faculty in order to replicate the program at other sites. Staff established improvement goals and work plans and participated in training sessions and monthly conference calls. The expertise gained from this training will carry over to this coming year, when the in-state team extends the program to other SBHCs.

Both of the improvement projects ended with presentations at the NASBHC annual conference in Portland, Oregon in June.

Obesity: For the fifth year, BMI data were collected on over 7,000 students. The results were shared with SBHC staff as they planned interventions to deal with the issue of overweight students.
(More information can be found under Reports)

Three SBHCs (Clay, Fairmont and Mt. Hope) received funding from the Sisters of St. Joseph Health and Wellness Foundation to work on a three-year project with MU to develop a strategy to address overweight in a school-based setting. Based on focus groups conducted by Dr. Kelli Williams, Marshall University Assistant Professor of Dietetics, at some of the SBHCs, Appalachian adolescents have a distorted perception of healthy weight. The MU staff is working with Dr. Williams, the SBHCs, and students to develop a social marketing plan that will appeal to youth and promote healthy weight practices.

Clinical Advisory Group: The SBHC Clinical Advisory Group's priority this year was an asthma initiative. The baseline chart audits were completed and summarized. These results will be shared with the CAG to determine next steps. Training on asthma management was presented at a workshop, and staff worked with the Asthma Coalition to coordinate efforts to implement the "Open Airways" program in elementary SBHCs.
(More information can be found within the Toolkit)

Mental Health Standards: The Mental Health Advisory Committee recommended standards for mental health services in SBHCs. The proposed standards are under review by the WV School Health Assembly and the Office of Behavioral Health, Children's Division.
(More information can be found within the Toolkit)

WV Program Effectiveness Review Tool: Marshall staff assisted the WV Bureau for Public Health's Division of Primary Care (DPC) to develop the West Virginia School-Based Health Center Program Effectiveness Review Tool (WV PERT). In 2004, the tool was distributed to SBHCs for self-assessment of compliance with the Principles, Standards and Guidelines for SBHCs in West Virginia. Based on the SBHCs" yearly self-evaluation and external evaluation, the Marshall staff then works with the SBHC staff and administration to address weaknesses.
(More information can be found within the Toolkit)

Medication Policy: Due to a new state policy regarding the dispensing of medications in schools, Marshall staff worked with the WV Department of Education and the Division of Primary Care to develop a sample policy for SBHCs. The recommendations were presented at the August workshop, and the Division of Primary Care sent a letter recommending that all SBHCs have a written policy that is consistent with the state legislative rule.
(More information can be found within the Toolkit)

Satisfaction Tools: Parent, school staff and user satisfaction surveys were developed and distributed to each of the SBHCs. Guidelines on how to distribute and collect the surveys were also developed, as was a Microsoft Access database for SBHC staff to enter the survey results and comments. Databases were sent to the MU TA & Evaluation team for analysis and production of a complete report back to the SBHCs for program improvement and marketing.
(More information can be found within the Toolkit)

Billing Survey: A survey of all SBHC programs sought to clarify the policies and practices of the SBHCs with regard to billing. This survey was conducted by the Marshall team and the results were reported back to the SBHCs, the School-Based Health Assembly, and the Division of Primary Care. Fifteen of 17 programs completed the survey, which revealed that while all SBHC programs do bill third party insurers when possible, their policies with regard to co-pays and deductibles, billing parents, etc., differ greatly.
(More information can be found under Research)