School district superintendent expecting healthy partnership

It's a safe bet most residents like their neighborhood school.

But when officials at Elaine Wynn Elementary at 5655 W. Edna Ave. decided to add a health clinic on campus, things started to get complicated in the neighborhood.

Now the Clark County School District is set to lease the empty facility to the nonprofit Foundation for Positive Kids, which promises to open a free children's health clinic in the back of the school with a separate entrance at 5630 Coley Ave. It is officially known as the Casey Jones Health Center.

Neighbors have expressed their concern that what is beginning as a children's clinic will wind up expanding its mission and increasing traffic in the neighborhood.

Consider Clark County School District Superintendent Dwight D. Jones an unabashed fan of the idea.

"We've been working a lot with the neighbors to try to address their needs," Jones said Thursday.

"I think we've gotten to about 80 percent or so of the concerns that the neighbors had that we've been able to address. ... We didn't get to 100 percent, but some things we just couldn't do. So I think it's going to be a lot more friendly to the neighborhood, and I think it's really a necessity, especially with the poverty and the need, so I really support going forward with it."

The agreement calls for a $1-a-year lease for the 1,230-square-foot building. It marks the second time a health clinic has been planned on the school's grounds. In the proposed contract, the district agrees to maintain the building.

In an Oct. 11 letter of explanation, CCSD Chief Financial Officer Jeff Weiler wrote, "FFPK desires to operate school-based health services to the students of the District at the health clinic that include, but are not limited to: acute care, health education and prevention, health maintenance, primary care pediatric medical services, well-child exams, school and preschool physicals, pre-participation physicals, minor illness and injury evaluation and treatment, chronic illness evaluation and treatment, and vaccinations (with parental consent) may be provided."

Sounds like a standard professional health clinic. But who will pay for the services?

Weiler: "Through partnerships with other agencies, FFPK is able to offer free prescriptions and some limited free laboratory services. Services will be provided free of charge to any family utilizing the school-based health services, and Medicaid and Nevada Check-Up may be billed by FFPK."

On the CCSD agenda, the foundation's health services were described as coming at "no cost to the students or the Clark County School District."

The district has agreed to maintain the building.

RIZZOLO FREEZE: His patience exhausted, U.S. District Judge Philip Pro this week moved to freeze Lisa Rizzolo's formerly secret Cook Islands bank account and put her on a court-approved household budget. The decision is a victory for the family of a Kansas tourist who was made a quadriplegic after being beaten outside the Crazy Horse Too topless cabaret, formerly owned by Rizzolo's ex-husband, Rick Rizzolo.

In his order in the wake of Wednesday's hearing, Pro wrote, "Based on the briefs, the parties' arguments, and the entire record in this case, the Court concludes the Plaintiffs have established that they are likely to succeed on the merits, they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary injunctive relief, the balance of equities tips in their favor, and injunctive relief is in the public interest."

(For another view of the Rizzolo affair, check out attorney Herb Sachs' letter on my blog at lvrj.com.)

ON THE BOULEVARD: On Saturday, the 12th annual Southern Nevada Walk n' Roll/5K Run to support ALS of Nevada is set for Police Memorial Park. The group helps comfort patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a nerve disease better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

The run starts at 8 a.m, the walk at 8:45, and you can register online (http://als.kintera.org/WalknRoll) or on the morning of the race beginning at 6 a.m.

HENRY'S LIFE: A funeral for the remarkably talented Henry Shead, whose piano accompanied some of the best singers to appear in Las Vegas, is set for noon Monday at Zion Methodist Church, 2108 Revere St. in North Las Vegas.

Have an item for Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. He blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Smith