As of Oct. 1, PHS now has a full-time nurse practitioner through a partnership with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. 

Amber Hunziker transferred to Community Health from Mercy Hospital-Fort Scott in February. 

“I have always been really interested in adolescent health and wellness and just high school kids in general,” Hunziker said. “It is just a whole different type of health care, and I have always been really interested in that.”

According to Hunziker, she is doing what she loves.

“It is a neat opportunity really that you can do health care while actually keeping kids in school,” Hunziker said. “Keeping everyone healthy is a big priority for school health.” 

According to Hunziker, the advantage of having a full-time nurse practitioner is the amount of class time students don’t miss due to doctor visits.  

“Say you have an earache, you have to miss an entire morning just to get it checked out… [You can get a check up] without ever having to leave school, meaning there are fewer absences and you can also not miss practice, club activities, tests, or study hall, which is really important to a lot of students,” Hunziker said. “This way you can actually stay in school all day and still get the health care you need.”

To receive care from the nurse practitioner, a student has to have parental consent. The consent form is accessible in the clinic and once the form has been filled out, students have access to free healthcare. 

“One big thing is that if parents are interested to just stop by here and grab the consent, you can take it home with you and drop it back off here and the parents never actually have to come to school and do any of it,” Hunziker said. “That way any time you have an upset stomach or anything like that that is more than what the school nurse can do, and they want you to be seen, you can be seen and have your medicine [delivered here].”