Health Clinic In New Union School Will Serve Students, Community

Union Public Schools is doing more than educating students; Monday night, the school announced that a health care clinic will be at its newest elementary school.

The partnership is the first of its kind in the state of Oklahoma - the school will also include a new Community Health Connection clinic.

Ellen Ochoa Elementary will open its doors this fall thanks to voters who approved the district's bond issues, but it won't just be a new school, the facility will also offer health care to east Tulsa families.

"We'll be able to have all of our services. Not only the medical attention but also dental and behavioral health - an in-house pharmacy. So, it's just going to be terrific for the community,” said Community Health Connection CEO Jim McCarthy.

He said Community Health Connection already has an east Tulsa location, which opened nine years ago, but it's not big enough to serve the needs of the population on its own.

Many students and their families, he said, don't have insurance and need these clinics.

"All of our patients have access to deeply discounted pharmaceuticals, and that really helps with accessibility," the CEO said.

Mayor GT Bynum said Tulsa's Hispanic population has been asking for a resource like this for some time, and the district is happy to provide.

"That was our goal from the start, was - let's build something that's going to transform lives, both young and old, and something that we're all going to be very proud of," said Superintendent Dr. Kirk Hartzler.

The Community Health Connection East Clinic is being built with $9.975 million in funds from Vision Tulsa that were approved by Tulsa voters.

Ellen Ochoa Elementary will open in the fall with 500 students; the clinic will open in 2019.