ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Ohio Hills Health Centers welcomed Shelby Jefferis, a board-certified family nurse practitioner to its team as the health practitioner at the new School Based Health Center located at Belmont Career Center.

“OHHC is pleased to partner with the Belmont Career Center to offer one of the first School Based Health Centers in our area,” OHHC said in a release. “The SBHC will make health and dental care accessible and affordable for the Belmont Career Center students, their household members and for the staff of the Belmont Career Center.

“SBHCs are not new, but they are new in our area. For 30 years, SBHCs in Ohio have been improving the health and education outcomes of the students they serve.”

According to OHHC, such centers are important because a child who is not healthy, or who must miss school for medical reasons, often struggles more at school.

An SBHC will bring health and dental care to the students at the Belmont Career Center, allowing students to miss a minimum amount of class time while they address health and dental concerns that may have otherwise been overlooked.

OHHC originally sought to establish the SBHC in the Union Local School District. The board of education eventually decided it did not want to house the facility after parents aired concerns about what services would be provided there. OHHC then worked with the career center board to establish the facility.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shelby to OHHC. She has a strong and varied background in nursing which includes the Emergency Department, Critical Care and Acute Care. She embraces the concept of a School Based Health Center,” said Jeff Britton, CEO, OHHC. “Shelby has demonstrated her ability to relate to high school students and community members.

“She is a team player and committed to providing quality care in this new setting.”

Jefferis began her health care career early when she became a candy striper at Barnesville Hospital. She then went on to become a patient care assistant and then was a nurse for six years before she became a family nurse practitioner.

Jefferis obtained an associate of nursing degree from West Virginia Northern Community College and a bachelor’s and a master’s in nursing from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. She is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She is a member of the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses and the International Association of Forensic Nurses. She has also met the certification requirements to become a SANE nurse, which stands for sexual assault nurse examiner.

“I am excited to play a role in bringing a new service to our region,” Jefferis said. “I am looking forward to getting to know the students, their families and the staff at the Belmont Career Center and being able to meet their health care needs.”

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse that has additional education and experience. A nurse practitioner is able to prescribe medications, perform in-office procedures, communicate diagnoses, and order and interpret diagnostic tests. Nurse practitioners are integral members of the health care team in many hospitals and clinical practices.

Jefferis will be at the Belmont Career Center beginning Aug. 24 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. She will be able to see Belmont Career Center students, their household members, and Belmont Career Center staff.

Jefferis will be joined by Dr. Amber Bauer, who will provide dental services. Initially dental care will be available on Mondays at the Belmont Career Center with the plan to expand to Wednesdays also.

OHHC accepts almost all insurances; however, a patient discount program is also available for those who qualify, and OHHC’s financial counselor can help with the application process. To schedule an appointment at OHHC-Belmont Career Center, call 740-239-6447.