School Health Advocate of the Month — December 2022

Thank you for your dedication to closing the gaps in children’s healthcare!

Martha Grijalva has been a school nurse at Soccoro ISD for 15 years. After stepping away from hospital work, Nurse Martha started out substituting at the district. It wasn’t long before she felt drawn to stay at the Salvador H. Sanchez Middle School campus.

One of the best parts of her role at Sanchez Middle School has been getting to know her students. When Goodside Health and Socorro ISD partnered to bring SchoolMed to her campus, she wanted to make sure that it wouldn’t negatively impact her school clinic.

“I was hesitant to use the program because I didn’t want to add another step when students came into my office,” said Nurse Martha.

When her Engagement Coordinator walked her through an initial SchoolMed visit, she realized it was much simpler than she expected. Now, when she identifies that a student visiting her clinic could benefit from a SchoolMed visit, she loves to call parents and tell them that their student could be seen by a health provider right there in her office.

“Students actually get to see a provider now and get medication immediately!” Nurse Martha said. “It’s so hard for parents to get off work or it can sometimes take days for a student to get an appointment with a doctor in town.”

“Administrators here love the program because there are fewer absences now and the type of care students receive,” she added.

Thank you, Nurse Martha for helping to close over 150 gaps in children’s healthcare at Sanchez Middle School this year! 

About Goodside Health

Goodside Health is advancing the delivery of pediatric care by partnering with communities to provide access to telehealth, mental health, and well-care services at school, at home, and in the clinic. Relentless advocates for expanding access to care and promoting health equity, Goodside Health leverages a Whole-Child Approach to care and lives our mission of closing gaps in children’s healthcare through innovation and execution. To learn more about Goodside Health, please visit goodsidehealth.com.