HealthReach Announces Expansion of School-Based Health Center in Fairfield

Fairfield – HealthReach Community Health Centers is excited to announce expanded hours – as well as junior high student and staff access – at our Lawrence High School “Bulldog” Health Center.

This Fall, students and staff at the adjoined Lawrence Junior High will be able to seek primary care services at the Bulldog Health Center within Lawrence High School. The health center will also expand its hours to make its services even more accessible and convenient, to Tuesday through Friday, 7:30am to 3:00pm. This schedule will vary to follow the school’s schedule; the health center will close on any school closure days.

Katie Gillihan, FNP, will continue to serve as the health center’s dedicated care provider. Gillihan’s passion, knowledge, and commitment have been evident to the school community since she started part-time with the Bulldog Health Center in 2021. With this expansion of service, Gillihan will transition from our Belgrade Regional Health Center to become the full-time provider at Lawrence High School.

Since late 2021, our Bulldog Health Center has offered primary care services to students and staff of Lawrence High School. These services include checkups, sports physicals, diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses, management of chronic conditions, family planning services, labs, immunizations, and more. Locating health centers within schools helps communities by reducing family costs for transportation, while also increasing the time each student can spend within the classroom – indirectly improving educational outcomes. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, HealthReach’s mission is “to provide high-quality, affordable, patient-centered healthcare in the medically underserved communities of Central and Western Maine.”

Bulldog Health Center, founded in 2021, is a school-based health center that is part of HealthReach Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center consisting of twelve community health centers located across Central and Western Maine. Dedicated clinicians deliver high-quality healthcare – inclusive of behavioral health and dental services – to residents from 9 of Maine’s 16 counties. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and major insurance providers. In addition, an Affordable Care Program is available to both uninsured and underinsured residents. Assistance is available for applications to programs that help with the cost of your healthcare and medications, including Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

A private non-profit with a 48-year history, HealthReach is funded by patient fees, grants, and by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $4,815,606 with 82.2% financed by non-governmental sources. The contents above are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the official views of or an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.