Memorial’s engagement with schools that are part of the School Health Partnership Program has changed and expanded since the original learning history was written. The program at the three South Bend Community School Corporation schools continues to thrive with an expanded model, however, the New Prairie program has expired as planned. Additionally, Memorial provides school-based health prevention programmatic support to the five middle schools in the SBCSC, three middle schools in the Penn-Harris-Madison school district and one middle school with the School City of Mishawaka.

According to Mark Chambers, Memorial Hospital and Foundation Vice President, "Memorial’s relationship with the school systems is broader than the original school nurse partnerships. Memorial has enlarged its view to encompass a bigger school health connection and recognized that there are ‘sub-sets’ of school health, including health prevention education and programming."

These sub-sets include programming that is grade specific and deals with such issues of sexuality, respect and responsibility. In sixth grade, students participate in S.O.A.R. (Self, Others and Respect) an abstinence program that uses the "Postponing Sexual Involvement" curriculum for pre-teens. The program teaches refusal skills and resistance to peer pressure. In seventh grade, students participate in Baby Think It Over and T.N.T. (Towards No Tabacco). Baby Think It Over is a voluntary workshop where students care for infant simulators and take a workshop to prevent early parenting. T.N.T is a smoking prevention curriculum developed by the University of Southern California Medical School. The program also teaches refusal skills and resistance to peer pressure. Finally, in eight grade, students participate in the Sex Can Wait, an abstinence program that uses Teen Leaders (high school teens) to present the curriculum to eight graders. To date, a total of 8,200 students have been exposed to these programs. The student involvement projection for the year 2001 is 12,000.

In the fall of 2000 Memorial will be opening school-based primary care clinics at Harrison, Muessel and Studebaker schools. Mark Chambers recounts that, "One of the original goals of the School Health Partnership Program was to use the school system as a way to connect students [and their families] to primary care resources. The clinics are a way to do just that, by getting kids franchised into the system with easier access to healthcare. By placing primary healthcare on-site we are helping to eliminate barriers to healthcare."

Another new and exciting initiative that impacts the School Health Partnership Program is Hoosier Healthwise, a public assistance program that provides health insurance for children. According to Mark, "The potential for sustainability has improved with the implementation of Hoosier Healthwise. This program will help support the clinic development effort."

Memorial continues to look for ways to partner with school systems and create linkages that will make primary healthcare affordable, easier to access, and available to all those in need. The School Health Partnership Program is a valuable part of this equation.