Funding provides access to telehealth services for all students enrolled in the district at no cost through the 2028-29 school year.
UVALDE, Texas, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD) today announced that students will have access to virtual health care through a partnership with Hazel Health, a leading telehealth provider, and Superior HealthPlan (Superior), the Texas-based subsidiary of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC). Thanks to an investment of $250,000 from Superior, all UCISD students will have access to Hazel Health's high-quality care – at school and at home – through the 2028–2029 school year. The service will be accessible to all students enrolled in the district at no cost to their families.
"No matter where a student comes from or what they have experienced, they should have the opportunity to do and be anything they want," said Ashley Chohlis, superintendent of UCISD. "That's only possible if they attend school ready to learn. This partnership with Hazel Health and Superior HealthPlan will remove the health-related barriers to learning that keep students out of class. Providing our 4,062 students with access to care from diverse providers at no cost to families will be instrumental in helping them show up physically and emotionally ready to reach their full potential and help transform the future of our community."
UCISD's partnership with Hazel Health and Superior, which began in 2022, represents a key component of the district's plan to ensure that opportunity and achievement define the community through student-centered leadership. As an extension of this partnership, Superintendent Chohlis plans to have student ambassadors learn how to champion physical and mental well-being with peers and adults, spreading the word about the support available to the community through the district.
Hazel Health provides virtual care in more than 170 school systems across 14 states, making it the country's largest telehealth partner for schools. Hazel Health's innovative virtual care delivery model removes barriers that have historically impacted the Uvalde area, including cost, transportation, immigration status, and a shortage of providers.
Matching students to providers that reflect the community they serve is a core tenant of Hazel Health's culturally humble approach. Approximately 50% of the company's on-staff providers identify as people of color and speak more than 30 languages, which means UCISD students and families can work with providers who are licensed in Texas, speak their native language, and view their cultural background as an asset to care.
The results of the program speak for themselves: Clemson University recently found that more than 75% of students using Hazel Health services see significant clinical improvement with equitable results across all races and ethnicities.
"Meeting the needs of the whole child is a community effort that requires innovation and collaboration, like the partnership between Superior, UCISD, and Hazel Health," said Andrew Post, Chief Innovation Officer at Hazel Health. "This model exemplifies how working together can transform outcomes through access to care grounded in prevention and early intervention. We're proud to be part of a partnership that steps beyond the boundaries of traditional models to ensure schools are set up to serve all their students' needs."
As a leading Medicaid managed care organization in Texas, Superior provides health care to more than 1.7 million people across the state, including about 25% of Uvalde County residents. To date, Superior and the Centene Foundation have joined forces to invest more than $8 million to support Uvalde, including funding for a new community center, ongoing access to behavioral health services, and financial support for wellness fairs and other Uvalde area events.
"We're proud of this partnership with UCISD and Hazel Health because we know it will make a significant impact in the lives of children and youth in the Uvalde area," said Dr. Susan Mills, senior vice president of Population Health and Clinical Operations at Superior HealthPlan. "This program means students will have access to quality, local physical and mental health care, and we look forward to working together to support students and their families for years to come."
To learn about how Hazel Health operates in schools, visit https://www.hazel.co/districts-schools/hazel-in-schools.
About Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District
Uvalde CISD consists of 1,093 square miles in Uvalde, Real and Zavala counties. Located in the city of Uvalde are four secondary campuses: Morales Jr. High, Uvalde High School, Uvalde Early College High School, and Crossroads Academy. There are five elementary campuses: Uvalde Dual Language Academy, Dalton Elementary, Batesville School, Uvalde Elementary, and Flores Elementary. The mission of Uvalde CISD, a progressive rural community with a heritage of inspiring and growing leaders, is to ensure each student has an excellent foundation to reach his or her goals through personalized and rigorous instruction, global experiences, a dedicated staff with high expectations, community commitment, and pride in the achievement of all students. Learn more at https://www.ucisd.net/about-ucisd.
About Hazel Health
Hazel Health is the nation's largest and most trusted provider of school-based telehealth. By partnering with districts and health plans across the country, Hazel transforms schools into the most accessible front door to pediatric healthcare. Today, Hazel's licensed providers deliver teletherapy and virtual care (in school or at home) to over four million K-12 students, regardless of their ability to pay. Hazel aims to remove all barriers to the mental and physical health care that children need to thrive: in school, at home, and in life. www.Hazel.co.
About Superior HealthPlan
Founded in 1999, Superior HealthPlan is a managed care company that delivers quality health care throughout Texas. Committed to transforming the health of the community, one person at a time, Superior supports active local involvement in all 254 Texas counties with 3,200 employees throughout the state. Superior is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national health care enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services. More information on Superior can be found at www.SuperiorHealthPlan.com.
Media Contacts:
Uvalde CISD
Anne Marie Espinoza | amespinoza1075@uvaldecisd.net | 830-278-6655
Hazel Health
Steven Masnjak | stevenmasnjak@hazel.co
Superior HealthPlan
mediainquiries@superiorhealthplan.com
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SOURCE Hazel Health
