Most Grand Junction High School students know about the new health center, but few know who runs it.
Students can go and seek physical, oral, and mental help services provided by Marillac’s Mesa County Health Clinic. Marillac is a nonprofit organization based in Northern Mesa County, providing nurses and offices to create medical care for people who cannot afford to go to a government health office. Only 1 in 4 students asked about Marillac knew that they were part of the health office, and still none knew what they are.
“We’re a federally qualified health center and have been operating for some time, we used to be part of Saint Mary’s but now we’re our own entity,” said Marillac Nurse Practitioner Janie Phillips.
Marillac has worked with District 51 previously, with the Central High School health clinic in 2020. GJHS partnered with Marillac instead of Community Hospital or St. Mary’s to create the new school-based health clinic because of their qualification and their position to be able to give free or discounted medical assistance to the students.
According to local news reports, not every School Board member was on board with the new health center. Board President Andrea Haitz, Vice President Will Jones, and Treasurer and Secretary Angela Lema voted against the clinic due to some previous concerns. A lawsuit against Marillac in February 2023 accusing them of “Fraudulent misuse of school-based health center grant money for the warrior wellness center clinic” was a factor in the board’s initial decision, but they inevitably allowed the health clinic to be built in the new GJHS.
