As the school year begins, parents hope their children enjoy student success and happy times with friends. Keeping them healthy is a key factor in helping them achieve more and feel stronger to face every situation. While some rural areas lack the capability to meet the needs of the children in their communities, Alaskan children in Bristol Bay can get all the health services they need at Cama’i Health Center.
Schedule your child’s back-to-school checkup today to help them start school strong!
Why Do Children Need Back-to-School Checkups?
At Cama’i Community Health Center, we recommend that all students have a checkup at the beginning of every school year. Why is it so important? First, consider the timing. Having a thorough examination before school starts helps you ensure that your child is healthy enough to thrive in school. With excellent preventative care, your child could avoid missed days and poor school performance related to health issues.
In addition, the beginning of their school year is a memorable time. Years go by quickly when your children are young. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day challenges and forget about health care until an emergency happens. However, tying their checkup to something that happens every year will help them stay on track with their health care for the long term.
What Happens in a Back-to-School Checkup?
Checkups are a type of preventative care. At this visit, your child can receive the immunizations they need to stay healthy. When your child’s physician identifies your child’s unique health challenges, you can better equip them to succeed in school. Also, checkups sometimes uncover hidden medical problems, many of which can be treated more effectively with early intervention.
Physical Examination
Your child’s yearly checkup begins with a complete physical examination. The doctor checks your child’s vital statistics, like blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. The care team can often identify potential growth problems by checking their weight and height — and checking their reflexes. They also talk to you and your child about your concerns. They get to know your child to understand their unique strengths and vulnerabilities.
A comprehensive physical examination keeps your child healthier, but it also meets the requirements for playing certain sports and participating in other school activities. Children are more successful, not only in classrooms but also in extracurricular activities when parents ensure they get a yearly physical exam. Getting into the routine of scheduling a yearly physical around school enrollment time ensures that they have what they need to start the school year strong.
Vaccinations
Children in Bristol Bay can’t be enrolled in school until they meet the State of Alaska vaccination requirements. Currently, Alaska requires pre-K through sixth-grade students to have a total of seven separate immunizations at some point including polio, hepatitis, and MMR vaccines. Adolescents aged 14-15 also need an additional TdaP booster.
Along with the required vaccines, you may decide to protect your child with other immunizations recommended by the CDC, such as the flu vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine, and HPV vaccine. Although these are not required, they can potentially keep your child healthier now and in the future.
Nutrition Counseling
Many children have nutritional challenges. They might be finicky eaters and develop nutritional deficiencies. They might need help understanding healthy eating to avoid gaining too much weight or for diabetes prevention. At Cama’i Community Health Center, we offer in-depth nutritional counseling for children. By taking your student in for a yearly checkup, you allow the doctor to identify and address any dietary problems, often before they become severe.
Mental Health Services
Children face many emotionally demanding challenges. Young students sometimes have behavioral issues that interfere with their classroom success. Adolescents are especially vulnerable to depression and anxiety. And it isn’t always easy to recognize signs that their stress is becoming a serious problem. During the yearly visit, our staff assesses your child’s mental health. Then, if your student needs behavioral health services, we can set them up to begin receiving care right away, right here in Bristol Bay, Alaska.
Other Child Health Services
In addition to preventative well-child checkups, Cama’i offers a range of pediatric and adolescent services for students. For example, we provide exceptional pediatric emergency care. Parents who bring their students in for regular checkups find that emergency visits are much more comfortable for the children because they are in a familiar place with providers they trust.
Children also need reliable medical care during times of illness or injury. Sometimes, we can help resolve your student’s symptoms quickly. At other times, the student needs ongoing care for a chronic illness. In either case, your student will feel safe and cared for when they know their healthcare team is there to help them.
The Cama’i Community Health Center Difference
At Cama’i, we welcome all students currently enrolled or just starting out in Bristol Bay schools. As you make healthcare choices for your student, consider the Cama’i Community Health Center difference. Our team is here to provide your student with the best healthcare available in Bristol Bay, Alaska.
Children’s Health Professionals
Your young student needs more than a quick, impersonal once-over. They need care from a team of professionals with expertise in preventing, recognizing, and treating the medical challenges children face every day at school. Our Cama’i medical team has outstanding qualifications in providing pediatric care for students as well as adults. We are not only trained and qualified, but we stay up-to-date on the current health concerns of students and their parents in Alaska.
Patient-Focused Care
Before and during school enrollment season, we see many children for yearly checkups. However, your student is never just a number. Our patient-focused approach extends to children just as to adults. We listen to your child and hear your concerns. Your child’s checkup visit is all about your child and finding ways to help them thrive in school and at home. Your student gets the attention they deserve at every visit.
Your Student’s Healthcare Home
Children who have not had regular checkups may feel frightened or anxious about their first appointment. At Cama’i, we choose a friendly, compassionate approach to help your child feel relaxed and comfortable about their visit. Our pleasant, clean offices inspire children to feel easier about the situation. We want your child to feel at home so that when they have medical needs, they can rest assured their Cama’i medical team is here to help.
Individualized Treatment
Your young student is a unique individual. They have their own specific needs and may have many needs and concerns that other children don’t have. That’s why your child’s checkup needs to be tailored to them. Our healthcare providers take the time and put in the effort to give your child individualized treatment that is right for them, at their age, and in their situation.
When Is the Right Time for a Back-to-School Checkup?
Generally speaking, the right time for a student’s yearly checkup is during August or September – right around the beginning of school. However, if it’s after the beginning of the school year and they didn’t see a doctor last year, don’t wait any longer. In that case, it’s best not to put off checkups and preventative care until the next year rolls along. Schedule the visit as soon as possible to ensure your child is healthy or gets the care they need to improve their wellbeing.
Give your child a great start this school year! Set up their checkup appointment at Cama’i today!
