I volunteer at Grimsley High School's Student Health Center. I have been very impressed with the nurturing attention provided by the professionals I've met there. This program allows students to get basic medical care and counseling related to acute and chronic conditions, as well as routine physicals and vaccinations. When students can get this attention at their schools, absenteeism is reduced. Students are thereby better able to focus on learning.

This program appears so successful, I felt sure it would expand to other schools, providing more Guilford County schools with the advantages that Grimsley and five other schools with health centers have. Today, I was shocked to find that the funding, which has been provided by Moses Cone/ Wesley Long Community Health Foundation along with Guilford County schools, is likely to be cut next year. Is this program too expensive? How much would you pay to reduce missed school days, emergency room visits from unattended illness, unwanted pregnancies and those without prenatal care, untreated diabetes and other ailments needing regular intervention, untreated depression and other emotional problems? It's a fact that early and preventative medical care reduces costs. Save money and promote student health, keep student health centers.

Laurel Driver
Greensboro