Washington County school briefs: HealthPartners to provide worksite care at east metro school district

The North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District has made room at district headquarters for a worksite clinic to be staffed by HealthPartners.

Construction costs were covered by the health care company, which agreed earlier to set aside $100,000 for the project.

"We did not have to spend any district dollars," said Jennifer McNeil, a district spokeswoman.

The Well@Work clinic is the ninth to be opened by HealthPartners, and is scheduled to see patients beginning on June 17 — about a week after the scheduled opening of a similar facility at the Red Wing public schools.

According to HealthPartners, on-site clinics help reduce health care costs because they give employees increased opportunities to focus on preventive care and chronic disease management. The clinics also offer treatment for minor medical problems, wellness counseling and lab services.

A school board resolution approved in February said the clinic would be staffed by a certified nurse practitioner or physician's assistant of the district's choosing. HealthPartners would provide the pool of applicants.

Under the agreement, the district will set the clinic's hours and fund operational costs of about $300,000 per year.

HealthPartners also offered to lower the district's premium by 1 percent, or $160,000, if the clinic opened by July 1.

"Employee health is one of the largest and most consequential expenses for the district," Superintendent Patty Phillips said in a news release. "We believe that Well@Work will help us control that expense by giving employees and their families an easier way to take charge of their own health."

The district, which serves students in Washington and Ramsey counties, has its headquarters at 2520 E. 12th Av. in North St. Paul. The clinic will serve district employees and dependents who are 18 months old and older who participate in a HealthPartners health plan.

The latest round of National Merit Scholarship winners included two students from Mahtomedi High School.

Claire Belisle, of Hugo, plans to study engineering at St. Olaf College, while Karna Ringham, of Stillwater, is likely to study mathematics at the University of South Carolina, according to the May 29 announcement.

The other two local recipients were: Rachel Glick, of Maplewood, who attends the Math and Science Academy in Woodbury and is likely to study astrophysics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Connor Olson, of Woodbury, who attends Mounds Park Academy and plans to study computer engineering at Michigan Technological University..

Adrienne Casselman, a special-education teacher at Bailey Elementary School in Woodbury, won a $300 shopping spree from Carson-Dellosa Publishing and Macaroni Kid, a South Washington County School District news release said.

She was nominated by a parent of one of her students and can spend the money on Carson-Dellosa's line of educational workbooks, software, games, puzzles, learning cards and classroom decorations.

"Mrs. Casselman embodies the heart and soul of teaching children with special needs," the parent's nomination letter said. "Her focus is not on what the child is doing wrong, but what can we do differently to help the child succeed."

An East Ridge High School student has been awarded one of seven national AFS Golden Leaders scholarships and will use the $3,000 to attend high school for a year in Shanghai, China.

Thakur is considering a career in international business or engineering.