What is Campus Clinic and how does it work?

Campus Clinic is a healthcare organization that embeds medical professionals directly into school campuses to provide health services to students and staff. The model is designed to minimize disruption to instructional time while maximizing access to care. School districts receive the services at no direct cost, as funding is secured through claims submitted to health insurance payers.

Why is school-based healthcare access so important?

According to KFF, only 34% of schools provide mental health screenings and outreach, leaving the majority of students without critical support. Limited access to healthcare in schools can result in untreated physical and mental health conditions that affect student performance and well-being. School-based clinics help address these gaps by meeting students where they are.

How does Campus Clinic address mental health specifically?

Campus Clinic bridges the gap between traditional healthcare facilities and schools by providing on-site services that include mental health support. By integrating care directly into the school setting, students face fewer barriers—such as transportation or parental scheduling—to receiving mental health services. The approach complements the broader push toward expanding telehealth and in-person mental health resources in K–12 education.

School-Based Clinics Are Revolutionizing Healthcare on Campuses, Providing Wider Access to Health Services

Host Kevin Stevenson speaks with Thomas Shaffer, President of Campus Clinic, about how school-based clinics are expanding healthcare and mental health access for students and staff. Campus Clinic operates in over 600 schools, using a funding model based on insurance claims rather than school district budgets. The conversation highlights critical gaps in school-based mental health services and how embedded healthcare professionals can help close them.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Education Technology teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

Promoted content from I Don't Care on MarketScale.

By Kevin Stevenson · September 29, 2023, 12:00 AM UTCCampus ClinicHealthcare AccessI Don't CareKevin Stevenson

Key takeaways

Only 34% of schools offer mental health outreach and screenings, and just 17% provided telehealth mental health services in 2021–2022.

Campus Clinic places healthcare professionals directly in schools at no cost to school districts, funding services through insurance claims to payers.

The model operates across 600+ schools, bridging gaps between traditional healthcare facilities and the school environment.

Despite the growing consciousness surrounding the importance of mental health and healthcare access, just 34 percent of schools provide outreach services and mental health screenings, according to KFF. The discussion around school-based healthcare access is growing more and more crucial. But even more pressing, only a mere 17 percent of schools offered mental health services through telehealth services for the 2021-2022 school year, per KFF.

Only a mere 17 percent of schools offered mental health services through telehealth services for the 2021-2022 school year.

How can healthcare access be enhanced and address mental wellness within schools? How does integrating healthcare in the educational environment change the game for accessibility and mental health initiatives?

For the latest segment of “I Don’t Care with Kevin Stevenson,” host Kevin Stevenson led a conversation with Thomas Shaffer, President of Campus Clinic, on the transformative topic of increasing healthcare access through school-based clinics. The discussion examined some shocking statistics, the creation and impact of Campus Clinic, and its inventive approach to providing healthcare solutions in over 600 schools.

Stevenson and Shaffer also further discussed:

Campus Clinic's innovative approach, placing healthcare professionals directly in schools, ensuring students and staff receive essential services without compromising instructional time.
Its strategic funding model and how school districts receive Campus Clinic's services at no cost, with funding primarily secured through claims to payers and reducing financial constraints for wider access.
How Campus Clinic addresses the urgent needs of students by bridging the gaps between traditional healthcare facilities and school-based clinics.

About the Speaker

Thomas Shaffer is the president of Campus Clinic and has dedicated his career to bringing revolutionary healthcare solutions to schools. Having overseen the implementation of healthcare access in over 600 schools, he is committed to reducing obstacles in healthcare and finding school-based healthcare solutions.