Background School-based health centers (SBHCs) can function as patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), but few studies examine how SBHCs fit the PCMH definition and address the challenges of rural h...

An expansion of school-based health centers in New York State could help address a growing need for mental health services in schools.

In the rolling landscapes of rural upstate New York, a new study spearheaded by researchers at Cornell University unveils a transformative truth: school-based health centers (SBHCs) embedded directly within the school environment significantly enhance student attendance. This landmark research, the first of its kind focused on rural communities, reveals that children attending schools equipped with these comprehensive health clinics are markedly less likely to suffer from chronic absenteeism compared to their counterparts in districts devoid of such facilities.

This cross-sectional study assesses whether student absenteeism is less frequent in rural school districts with vs without school-based health centers.