28    Cone Health Philanthropy
For years, school-based telehealth in Guilford 
County was a promising idea, carried forward by 
early believers, careful planning and a willingness 
to try something new. At its heart was a simple 
question: What would it look like if care showed up 
where children already spend their days?
Those early believers included school leaders, 
county leaders, community partners and donors 
willing to test a new model in a small group 
of schools — Bessemer Elementary, Union Hill 
Elementary, Cone Elementary and Washington 
Montessori School. In these high-poverty schools, 
the need was immediate. Students were missing 
class when they had to leave school for care, and 
parents were leaving work when a child became ill. 
For many families, treatment was delayed until late 
evening, often ending in a visit to the emergency 
department. 
The first telehealth clinic, launched at Bessemer 
Elementary in 2021 with support from The Duke 
Endowment, offered early proof of success. In 
its first year, the clinic served 300 students, and 
most were able to return to their classrooms the 
same day. Chronic absenteeism — a persistent 
challenge linked to lower academic outcomes 
and added financial strain for families — began to 
ease. “I absolutely see the difference in our school 
community,” says Jonathan Brooks, a principal 
with Guilford County Schools. “Our students are 
healthier. They attend school more regularly. They 
have increased confidence.”
Today, that idea guides a regional approach. 
School-based telehealth has become a shared 
infrastructure for care, expanding across county 
lines and responding to needs that vary widely 
depending on where children and their families live.
What began in Guilford now reaches schools in 
Rockingham and Alamance counties, carrying with 
it a clear and steady premise: Care belongs where 
families already are. That growth did not happen 
on its own. The speed of expansion reflects both 
a model that proved itself and a community — 
including donors, school leaders and partners — 
willing to invest in what works. In a relatively short 
period, school-based telehealth has moved from 
pilot to sustained practice, growing from a few 
initial locations into a network serving students and 
families across three counties.
Across 
county 
lines:  
a regional 
model 
takes root
PRIORITY:  
School-Based Telehealth
Through donor support and 
regional collaboration,  
school-based telehealth 
now connects to schools 
across Guilford, Rockingham 
and Alamance counties, 
strengthening access to care 
for students and families.

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