LEWISTON — Children in Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care’s Head Start prekindergarten child care program, Head Start prekindergarten program and home-based Head Start programs have been the recipients of a partnership between AHSCC and the Lewiston-Auburn School-Based Health Centers, part of Community Clinical Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center, affiliated with St. Mary’s Health System.

Androscoggin Head State and Child Care is federally mandated to assist children and families with many health related issues, including lead poisoning and oral health. Planning meetings for H1N1 clinics were held beginning fall 2009 between Jim Lysen, FQHC executive director; MaryAnn Amrich, public health liaison, Western Maine District, CDC, DHHS; Sylvia Normand, L-A SBHC administrative coordinator; Dorothy Crowley Noel, health/nutrition manager, AHSCC; Norma Larocque, health coordinator, AHSCC; and Estelle Rubinstein, executive director, AHSCC.

The Lewiston-Auburn School-Based Health Centers provided on site H1N1 vaccination clinics for children, families and staff at no cost to the recipient. With the assistance of Sylvia Normand and other L-A SBHC staff, including nurse practitioner Shelley Hickey, as well as volunteer nurses, two clinics were held at each Head Start site for children, families and staff.

WorkMed, also a division of St. Mary’s Health System located in Auburn, provided Head Start with on site lead screening clinics. Initial funding for lead screenings was provided by a grant from the Lewiston Auburn Children’s Fund, with St. Mary’s providing additional financial assistance and manpower to help Head Start meet all of their federally mandated requirements for children’s health.

Jim Lysen also was instrumental in assisting AHSCC to meet the many challenges of Federal mandates in the area of oral health. Lysen assisted in obtaining a memorandum of understanding with the Dental Program at the B Street Health Center. The agreement allows Head Start children to utilize the quality oral care provided by the dental program to meet the mandates placed upon all Head Start programs for oral health.

Partnerships between Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care and local businesses and non profits are instrumental in continuing the mission to “promote the positive growth of children, families and staff”. The partnership created with the L-A SBHCs, Community Clinical Services and St. Mary’s Health System has been extremely beneficial to AHSCC and the children and families participating in Head Start programs.

For more information, call 795-4040, ext. 325 or visit www.androkids.com.