School Days: Tamara Baker

Wonks at Work

Now more than ever, schools are seeking to provide students with a broad scope of wellness, prevention, and treatment so they can thrive inside and outside the classroom. Dozens of schools across Arkansas have adopted a model known as the school-based health center. These are staffed clinics on school grounds that provide medical and mental health care, and in some cases oral health and vision services. Students and staff don’t have to leave school for appointments, and studies have shown the centers have the potential to improve educational outcomes. To learn more about these centers, we’re joined on this episode by Tamara Baker, executive director of the School-Based Health Alliance of Arkansas.