Advisory board votes to seek transition of Port Huron teen clinic to qualified primary-care operator

The St. Clair County Advisory Board of Health voted unanimously to recommend that the county terminate direct operation of the Port Huron teen health clinic and work to transfer services to a qualified primary-care provider, such as a federally qualified health center (FQHC), with a target transition date by Oct. 1, 2026.

Dr. Nevin presented a Feb. 17 memorandum describing a vendor-supplied online "demographics" survey that, he said, included sexualized questions and had been administratively deployed without adequate notice to staff or parents. He told the board that several hundred students in the clinic’s records were exposed to the survey and that "a couple dozen" children ages 10–12 had been administered it. "Unacceptable," he said.

Dr. Nevin recommended seeking a transition of operations to an FQHC or other qualified provider within a 6–8 month timeframe so the department can preserve continuity of care while addressing the vendor and programmatic problems. He described possible funding approaches — including state grants or alternative federal rural-health sources — and said county administration would lead negotiations with school districts and potential partners.

Board members discussed continuity of care for affected students, parental notification and the need for a clear negotiation plan with school districts. One member said community providers have expressed concern about losing continuity of care when school clinic patients are not connected back to local primary-care practices.

The advisory board approved a motion recommending termination of county operations and transition to a qualified provider; the motion was recorded as passing 7-0 by roll call.