Essential services are provided in a rural location by Jacket Health and Wellness Center

Sheridan, Arkansas – One of the primary topics of the Sheridan School District’s community needs assessment survey, which was distributed to families, teachers, and community members in 2020, was health.

“Care access can be difficult for families and our district, particularly in rural areas. Since we cover a huge geographic area, the results of our family survey indicated that we needed to improve access to healthcare, according to Allyson Pitts, Director of Jacket Health and Wellness.

Families cited a variety of reasons in the poll for why their children could not receive medical care.

According to the study, 405 guardians stated they were unable to take time off from work, and 24% stated that a problem was their transportation or the distance to their medical provider.

“We took that and applied for a five-year grant from the state to help us fund this wonderful project,” Pitts explained.

After four years, the project has evolved into the district’s Jacket Health and Wellness Center thanks to a collaboration between Pinnacle Pointe and Mainline Health, which will provide mental and physical health services.

The center now offers physical and mental health services in addition to transportation.

“The services that we provide for our students include well-child checkups, allergy shots, vaccinations, as well as sports physicals,” Pitts stated.

Faculty and staff are also eligible to use the services.

The simple availability to high-quality care is, in the opinion of people who have students in the district, one of the health and wellness center’s best features.

If a student’s guardian does not consent, the health and wellness facility will not treat them.