Denver Health School-based Health Center Nationally Recognized

This past week, The National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado recognized Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College in Northeast Denver as one of only seven "Schools of Opportunity" across the country. The designation honors high schools in the United States that close opportunity gaps by providing resources and opportunity to students with a commitment to equity and excellence.

Specifically, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College was noted for its creative allocation of resources that allows it to have three full-time mental health professionals working onsite to help students. These services are possible through Denver Health’s School-based Health Center located at the school.

The Washington Post wrote about the honor, noting that more than 70 percent of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College students use the School-based Health Center, which also includes dental, vision and physician services.

Denver Health’s School-based Health Centers began operations in 1987 at Abraham Lincoln High School and now serve 17 Denver Public Schools. Services at the centers are robust and cover everything from reproductive health, mental counseling, care for chronic conditions, immunizations, lab tests and more. In most cases, students can get same-day or next-day appointments at no-cost to the students or their families.