School-Based Health Program Receives $1,000+ Donation from the Cooperstown Rotary Foundation
February 25, 2025
The Rotary Club of Cooperstown welcomed Jane Hamilton, RN, practice manager of Bassett Healthcare Network’s School-Based Health Program, to their Tuesday, February 18 meeting to educate the club about the program. At the meeting, the Cooperstown Rotary Foundation presented Hamilton with a $1,149.90 donation to the program.
Hamilton delivered a presentation to club members, sharing information on the scope and impact of the program. Bassett operates 22 school-based health centers, which are based inside school buildings in 18 districts across Central New York. At these centers, more than 7,500 enrolled students receive healthcare services at no out-of-pocket cost.
“At School-Based Health, we strive to make medical care, dental care, and mental health services easily accessible to families, removing so many barriers to care and minimizing interruptions to students’ time in the classroom,” said Hamilton. “We are teaching children valuable preventative health lessons that they can rely on through a lifetime. Thank you to the Rotary Club of Cooperstown for supporting the care we provide.”
School-Based Health services are available for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in the school districts where the centers are located. The program helps families overcome common barriers to healthcare in rural areas, like lack of insurance, lack of transportation, and many other socioeconomic factors.
“The work being done by Bassett’s School-Based Health Program is a direct match for three of the Rotary’s key missions: fighting disease, saving mothers and children, and supporting education,” said Bertine McKenna, PhD, a member of the Rotary Club of Cooperstown, officer of the Cooperstown Rotary Foundation, and former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Bassett Healthcare Network. “We value all of the work being done to keep many of the youngest members of our Cooperstown community healthy.”
The Rotary Club of Cooperstown has supported other Bassett Healthcare Network initiatives in the past. Most recently, the club presented a $4,000 check to a partnership with the Cooperstown Food Pantry that provides medically-tailored meals to cancer patients.
