"Bowen Research Center's Contract with Learning Well, Inc. to Evaluate School-Based Clinics Extended Through September 2006"

"Learning Well, Inc. has extended the contract with the Bowen Research Center, the research arm of the Department of Family Medicine, to evaluate their school-based clinics for another two and one half years (through September, 2006). Learning Well, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing the majority of Marion County public and private children with access to primary and preventive health care through school-based health services. Learning Well corporate partners include all of the school districts in Marion County, four hospitals, two Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), a public health department, a community health care center, a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), and seven additional professional organizations that are included as advisory partners. All of these partners joined forces under the Learning Well umbrella to deliver school health services to Marion County schools at no direct costs to the schools.

The primary mission of the Learning Well program is to improve the health, well-being, and school performance of students in Marion County through improved access to integrated, preventative, and primary health care services. The stated goals of the Learning Well program focus on five important health care domains:

1. Provide access to quality medical care (process).
2. Improve primary care utilization (process).
3. Improve the school attendance and school performance (outcomes).
4. Better meet the students' health needs (satisfaction).
5. Provide health education support to the school and community (outreach).

The Bowen Research Center is evaluating the impact of the school-based health clinic program, Learning Well, on the health and well being of the children using the school-based health clinics. The seven data streams needed for evaluating the Learning Well clinics include: patient encounter forms, clinic activity logs, outreach worker logs, student surveys, parent surveys, clinic staff surveys, and school faculty and staff surveys.

The Principal Investigator is Terrell W. Zollinger, Dr.P.H., Professor, IU School of Medicine and Associate Director, Bowen Research Center; Co-Investigator is Robert M. Saywell, Jr., Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Senior Investigator, Bowen Research Center; and Project Manager is Komal Kochhar, M.B.B.S., M.H.A., Project Coordinator, Bowen Research Center and Department of Family Medicine. 

For additional information, please email us bowenctr@iupui.edu.

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