Many families are busy gearing up for a new school year. From immunizations to checking in on mental well-being, it’s important for parents to support their child’s health by ensuring they are up to date on routine care. Whether your littles are starting preschool or your teen’s heading into high school, here are a few ways to help prepare for a healthy school year.
Scheduling a Well-child Exam
Regular checkups can help your child stay healthy and protect them from illness. During a well-child exam, a clinician will assess your child’s overall health and wellbeing—all covered at no cost share for members. This may include performing hearing and vision exams, checking their health and wellness, and administering routine immunizations. A clinician may also check for potential developmental delays and assess your child’s overall physical and emotional development.
Receiving Immunizations
Sutter Health Plus covers childhood immunizations as recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at no cost share for members. Vaccinations and immunizations can help protect children and others they come into contact with against preventable diseases, like polio, chickenpox, influenza, and measles. California state law requires children to be immunized against specific diseases for school or childcare entry.
Immunizations are available through your child’s pediatrician, Sutter Walk-in Care, and many network pharmacies (call ahead to check availability). View recommendations for checkups, screenings, and immunizations at every age in our Health Maintenance Guidelines.
Caring for Mental Health
Mental well-being is essential for overall health. Over the past few years, some children and adolescents who experienced social isolation may struggle with mental health challenges. According to the CDC, this can have a negative impact on academic performance. Parents should be on the lookout for social, emotional, and behavioral issues, which may include:
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Aggressive behavior
- Attention-related issues
Members of all ages have access to confidential in-person or virtual visits with a participating behavioral health provider through U.S. Behavioral Health Plan, California (USBHPC), a subsidiary of Optum. Get started by visiting liveandworkwell.com or calling 855-202-0984. Additionally, members with a computer or mobile device have premium access to Sanvello—a top-rated app offering clinical techniques to help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression—at no extra cost through USBHPC. Sanvello features unlimited health, mood, and goal tracking, self-care and coping tools, access to a meditation library, and peer and community support.
Understanding COVID-19 Vaccinations
Everyone is at-risk for contracting COVID-19, and symptoms can be severe at any age. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 8,300 kids have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and more than 650 have died. At this time, the CDC recommends vaccination for everyone ages six months and older to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a reminder, Sutter Health Plus covers COVID-19 vaccines for our members, even if administered out-of-network. Find more information at sutterhealthplus.org/covid-19-coverage-and-cost.
Accessing Same-day Care
Members can access convenient, same-day care during or after school hours and on weekends through:
- Virtual visits with a Sutter clinician from a phone, tablet, or computer through My Health Online
- Sutter Walk-In Care for common, everyday health needs
- The 24/7 Nurse Advice Line for immediate information and help to determine the right level of care at 855-836-3500
