TAMPA, Fla. — Registration for Project LINK’s Back to School Health Clinic for Hillsborough County students is now open.
“We’re looking for families that are new to Florida, that are uninsured, our have Medicaid, and they are looking to meet enrollment requirement to enroll in school. So that means if your child needs a school physical to enroll if you need to be up to date on vaccines, immunizations, you are a candidate for us,” said Tina Young, CEO of Project LINK.
Project LINK is a non-profit providing services for Tampa Bay youth. There will be 7 Back-to-School clinics this year all across Hillsborough County.
“They’re from Plant City to Ruskin, to East and West Tampa,” said Young.
The clinics will offer a range of services, including routine vaccinations, school physicals, and immunization record transfers.
These Back-to-School clinics have grown in popularity over the years as the need for free medical care has increased in our community.
This initiative aims to ensure that children who are uninsured or have Medicaid have access to essential healthcare services before the start of the next school year.
“Sometimes, when families relocate to Florida or anywhere, there is a lag in insurance. There’s a lag for the coverage, there’s a gap there and so we realize that and that’s why it’s not just Medicaid recipients that we serve but also families that are falling in that gap of being uninsured until their insurance catches up with them in Florida, in Hillsborough County. Then there’s families who just do not have healthcare at all. So there is a need and we are filling that need,” said Young.
Walk-ins are not accepted, so everyone must register online as soon as possible, as spots are limited.
“If your child attended a Hillsborough County public school last year or a charter school last year, you do not need a school physical. Sometimes parents think, 'Oh, I need to have a school physical every year.' You do not. Hillsborough County only requires that a child has a school physical 1 time out of their school life. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go get a physical, but for enrollment requirements, it’s only 1,” said Young.
