The Bryant School District is growing its student-based health clinic.
The On-Campus doctor's office offers numerous types of health care to students in the district, and Wednesday, Jan. 23, the campus launched its new eye care center.
Bryant is the only school district in Saline County offering an onsite Health Center for students, and just 1 of 2,700 in the nation.
Bryant Elementary 3rd grader, Ira Lasiter, made his way to the eye doctor.
"Ira was the first patient, my husband was the second patient," said Angie Lasiter, Ira’s mother.
The new center is situated just a building over from where Ira learns in the classroom, which is on Bryant Schools’ main campus.
"It's convenient for us,” said Lasiter. “Ira doesn't have to miss school so it helps with absenteeism.”
The Hornet Health Center has an onsite pediatrician, dentist, and now Optometrist Dr. Sarah Lunsford.
“A lot of times we have seen school-aged kids that have never had an eye exam with their eye doctor,” said Lunsford. “So, for them to be able to access this care on their campus is a huge opportunity.”
Dr. Lunsford specializes in adult and pediatric eye care. She's eager to use this opportunity to help many children overcome vision issues who may be unaware of having them.
She said 80 percent of learning is visual, and if a child can't see, they are missing out on the basics of learning.
"So the early that we catch problems and put them in glasses or help their eyes work better together, the better off they'll be,” said Lunsford.
The full-functioning eye care center targets children across the district, making the health care easily accessible.
"Parents, they aren't going to have to miss work,” said Lasiter. “We can have the students transported here without the parents even being here."
On the first day of operation, six others, like Ira, had their eyes examined. Luckily for the third grader, his eyes checked out perfectly healthy, but for two other students they learned for the first time that they needed glasses.
"We prescribe their glasses even contact lenses if they decide that and we have a selection of glasses they can pick from,” said Lunsford.
Students needing services at the Hornet Health Center must get parent consent. Enrollment forms are available on the district's website.
If your child does not have insurance, the school said they will work with them.