Baker High Health Center offers a convenient option for student healthcare
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, November 3rd, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY – (Release from the Baker County Health Department) Across Oregon, 87 school-based health centers in 28 counties provide students access to healthcare like well child exams, sick visits, minor injury treatment, mental health counseling, and vision and other health screenings.
Baker County Health Department is proud to provide services at the school-based health center at Baker High School. “For our community especially, healthcare appointments can be limited,” said Meranda Woolard, the health center coordinator. “It’s another option.”
The school-based health center at Baker High School is open on school days. Any Baker County School District student can get services from the physician assistant or nurse on staff. High school students can also get mental health support from a behavioral health counselor. Any staff member of the school district can also be seen.
The goal of a school-based health center is to make healthcare easier for students to get right where they are, in a space where they feel comfortable. A student can stop by the health center during their school day to make an appointment or their parents or guardians can call in to the health center to make an appointment. “Accessibility is important. It offers a lot of convenience for students and parents,” said Woolard.
School-based health centers have operated in Oregon since 1986 and have grown from eight health centers to 87 in 2024. The centers are a program of the Oregon Health Authority, run in partnership with school districts, local public health departments, healthcare providers and communities. “I wish more families knew about this program,” said Chastity Anderson, Baker County Health Department Director. “We are here for our community.”
Earlier this year, Oregon Health Authority published a status report on the school-based health center program with data from July 2023 to June 2024. The report found that Oregon’s school-based health centers provided over 140,000 visits, serving over 40,000 clients in that time. Across the state, about half the visits were for primary healthcare and almost half were for behavioral healthcare.
The state’s report also included many quotations from students who have used school-based health center services. One student said, “My parents work and it is hard for them to get time off. They are very happy to have the clinic here.”
Parents and guardians can contact the School-Based Health Center at Baker High School by calling 541-524-2646.
