Bear Care outlines expanded services, billing changes and partnerships while board presses on finances and district space

Bear Care, the nonprofit school-based health center operating inside White Bear Lake Area High School, told the school board that appointments and services have grown substantially and that the clinic has expanded its offerings while shifting to an insurance‑based billing model to support long‑term sustainability.

Dr. Jessica Meehee, executive clinical director of Bear Care, said the clinic provides sports physicals, wellness exams, diagnosis and same‑day treatment for common illnesses, immunizations, mental‑health counseling, nutrition counseling and newly added occupational therapy. "We see about 1,200 kids every year" in earlier reports and have grown to over 1,500 appointments in the last year, Meehee said.

The clinic operates a nurse‑led model that uses pediatric and family nurse practitioners and registered nurses, partners with Saint Kate’s and other clinical training programs for student clinical placements, and runs mobile clinics that deliver flu vaccines and school immunizations at district elementary and middle schools. Neli…