GREENVILLE – Regional non-profit Community Health Center, Carevide, and Greenville ISD are forming a powerful partnership that will provide accessible, low-cost, quality primary care and dental services to GISD students and their siblings. This project, titled the Family Health Connection, is a form of school-based healthcare that will be located at Carevide Pediatrics in Greenville. It will launch Nov. 6. 
“The Family Health Connection has the potential to have a dramatic positive effect on the health of our children and our community,” said GISD Superintendent Dr. Demetrus Liggins. “We all know that healthy students are better learners and enjoy a better quality of life. We are grateful to our partners at Carevide for providing this opportunity.”
School-based healthcare is an innovative service delivery model that allows schools and healthcare providers to work together to decrease barriers to healthcare for students. School-based healthcare has been around for many years, and while the name implies that these sites are generally on school campuses, many school-based health centers are off campus in existing medical facilities, as is the case with this project. For the Family Health Connection, being located in Carevide Pediatrics offers expanded access to services that would not be available in a smaller on-campus setting, like behavioral health services and dental services. Whether on or off campus, the goal of school-based healthcare remains the same: the overall health and success of students.
"So much of a child's academic success depends on their ability to be healthy and focused in the classroom. Partnering with the school district to provide healthcare for students is a natural fit for Carevide, and we're proud to be part of the Greenville ISD community," said Carevide CEO Michelle Carter.
The Family Health Connection will offer immunizations, treatment for chronic and acute illnesses, well-child exams, school physicals and more. The project is set to begin operations in October, with Tuesdays and Fridays designated for school referrals and appointments. Parents will be able to sign consent forms to allow fast service for their children. Carevide Pediatrics is located at 3005A Joe Ramsey Blvd, Greenville, TX 75402. For more information or to schedule an appointment, parents can call Carevide Pediatrics at 903.455.4458 or talk with their school nurse.
Download the parent consent form in English
Download the parent consent form in Spanish
About Greenville Independent School District:
Greenville ISD serves more than 5,000 students in the city of Greenville and surrounding areas. It is an open-enrollment district, which allows GISD to accept students outside the district boundaries. The district is known for its innovative initiatives, including robust academic offerings that allow students to graduate with college degrees and professional certificates, creating pathways to bright futures. The district is dedicated to opening new doors for students by working with community partners, including Carevide, Texas A&M Commerce, Paris Junior College, Innovation First International, L3Harris, Hunt Regional Medical Center, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, and more.
About Carevide:
Carevide is a local non-profit Community Health Center offering family medical, dental, pediatric, behavioral health, and women's health services, with locations serving Greenville, Bonham, Commerce, Cooper, Farmersville, Kaufman, and Sulphur Springs. With over 42 years of experience providing health care services, Carevide is a complete medical home for you and your family with continuity of care, Class D pharmacies, health education, social services, eligibility services, and translation services available. Payments accepted include private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and uninsured patients, based on a sliding-fee discount dependent on family size and income. Carevide’s mission is to improve the health and lives of those they serve with a commitment to patient-centered excellence in all that they do. To learn more, visit their website at www.Carevide.org.
About the Providers:
Renea Powell, RN, DNP, NNP-BC, CPNP-PC 
Renea Powell is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Carevide with over 18 years of experience working in pediatric healthcare. She received her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certificate from The University of South Alabama in 2007, her Doctor of Nursing Practice from The University of South Alabama in 2016, and currently serves as a faculty member at Baylor University. Renea has multiple personal connections to this project as she and her husband, Jeremy, reside in Greenville, have four children who attend or have attended GISD, and their youngest is currently a senior at GISD. Renea believes that community partnerships are very important and that The Family Health Connection with GISD will allow students to receive timely access to healthcare, therefore meeting the needs of the community and the district.
Wendy Steger, DDS 
Dr. Wendy Steger is the Chief Dental Officer at Carevide with a passion for children's dental care. She received her Doctor of Dental Surgery at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry in 2017. Dr. Steger’s interest in pediatric dentistry began early in her life when she assisted in a pediatric dental practice in high school where she fell in love with children. Dr. Steger believes The Family Health Connection with GISD gives Carevide an opportunity to better serve the children in our community. With new state of the art dental equipment and an integrated approach to care, dental care has become easier to access than ever for Carevide’s patients. Since the integration of pediatric services and dental services at Carevide Pediatrics, Dr. Steger has had the opportunity to visit with patients and families during their regular well-child exams to provide education on dental health and even conduct basic dental checks before they leave their medical appointment. Dr. Steger is very excited about this partnership to serve GISD students and families!
