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Valley Health Partners outlines South Side Easton clinic, seeks partnership with district for student care
Summary
Valley Health Partners presented a memorandum of understanding to the Easton Area School District to coordinate primary care, behavioral health, dental and (pending) pharmacy services at a new South Side clinic opening in mid-May.
Valley Health Partners, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) look‑alike, told the Easton Area School District board it will open a community clinic on Easton’s South Side in mid-May and sought a memorandum of understanding to coordinate school-based referrals and services.
“We are a federally qualified health center look alike,” the Valley Health Partners representative said, explaining the organization’s model and mission. She added: “We turn no 1 away for care,” and described a patient-centered medical-home approach intended to serve students and families regardless of ability to pay.
Why it matters: the South Side clinic is within walking distance of Cheston Elementary and other neighborhood sites the district cited as priorities. Board members and district staff said dental, vision and behavioral-health access were particular community concerns the clinic might address.
Services planned at the Lincoln Street location include primary care, integrated behavioral health, pediatrics, a Family Health Center and a Center de Salud focused on the Latino/Hispanic community. Valley Health Partners said dental and optometry services will be available at the site; a community pharmacy is planned but awaits Board of Pharmacy approval. The clinic is booking appointments starting in mid-May.
Valley Health Partners described existing community connections — its street medicine program, veteran care coordination and partnerships with local organizations — and said it has signed memoranda with Family Connection of Easton and Easton Neighborhood Centers. The presenter said the organization will work with district nursing staff and administrators to identify student needs, complete required physicals, and coordinate referrals without duplicating existing school services.
The MOU on the board brief was described as a no-cost partnership to the district. Valley Health Partners asked to continue planning over the summer so it can align clinic activities with the school year and district priorities.
Ending: board members welcomed the clinic; district staff said they would bring an updated MOU to a future meeting after small language changes were incorporated and legal review.
