Oakland Unified School District to Receive HHS Grant to Expand School-Based Health Centers
For Immediate Release
Contact: Ricci Graham
510-763-0370
Washington D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-09) announced today that the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) has been selected to receive a $423,098 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help fund the district’s school-based health centers.
OUSD is planning to expand services provided by its school-based health centers, with the goal of increasing the district’s ability to service students by 50 percent, and this funding will assist in that endeavor. School-based health centers enable students with acute or chronic illnesses to attend school and improve the overall health and wellness of children through special screenings, health promotion and disease prevention.
The grant is the second in a series of awards that are being made available to school-based health centers under the Affordable Care Act nationwide. A total of 45 school-based centers are being awarded $14 million in grants, allowing the number of children served by the centers to be increased by nearly 50 percent.
“I am pleased that the Oakland Unified School District has been selected to receive this important funding,” said Congresswoman Lee. “Oakland youth suffer disproportionately from a number of health conditions, and this funding will allow OUSD to expand services and provide additional access to important medical, mental health and health education services for students and their families.”
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