Healthy Learners executive director reflects on five years of removing children's health barriers to learning with love and compassion

Thursday, July 18, 2024

Tags: Healthy Learners , Outreach

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Healthy Learners provides students in South Carolina with access to essential medical, dental and vision care so that they have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Check out the latest newsletter from Healthy Learners to discover the heart of its mission, the story of how three siblings have received essential care for the past seven years, and more heartwarming stories.

Below is a column from Executive Director Amy Splittgerber where she reflects on her first five years in her leadership position and how the ministry continues to grow by balancing efficiency with love and compassion.

Read the full newsletter here.

Reflecting on Five Years

by Amy Splittgerber, Executive Director

Looking back over the past five years, I am filled with pride and gratitude to have been part of Healthy Learners’ journey. When I first joined the organization, I knew there was immense potential for Healthy Learners to make an impact across South Carolina. I feel privileged to have been present for so many milestones that are making that goal a reality.

During my first ride-along with one of our staff, I connected with a first grader who was non-verbal. He was running around the clinic, so I picked out a book to read and engaged him. Though he was very fidgety, we managed to get through the book, and he put it back on the shelf. After about ten seconds, he took the same book out and found a spot right next to me, showing me he wanted to read it again. This time, I read at a slower pace, savoring each word. He reached over, clasped my hand, and gently squeezed it as I read. This experience formed a simple yet profound connection between us. I realized then that Healthy Learners must blend clinical efficiency with love and compassion.

We created a new strategic plan with this blend as the cornerstone of who we are. However, one month after it went live, the pandemic hit. The pandemic tested our resilience and adaptability, pushing us to rethink our service delivery model. Initially, we operated as a school-based program, but we had to innovate quickly when schools shut down. We expanded our reach, picking up children from homes, rec centers, and even grandparents' houses, ensuring no child was left behind. This shift helped us continue our services during a crisis and laid the foundation for a more flexible, responsive approach that we continue to use today.

Securing funding from our generous community was also pivotal in our expansion. With their support, we doubled our staff and vans, allowing us to serve additional counties and reach more children in need. Our proactive approach, identifying and addressing barriers to learning, proved effective and scalable. Hiring Spanish-speaking staff was essential to building trust and providing crucial healthcare services to the underserved Hispanic community.

As we expand Healthy Learners to serve every county in South Carolina over the coming years, our unwavering commitment to love and compassion remains steadfast. Every aspect of our operations, from strategic planning to daily interactions, is driven by our heartfelt desire to care for the children we serve. As we grow, we're dedicated to balancing efficiency with our mission and inspiring hope for a brighter future for all the children in our care through love and compassion.

Healthy Learners is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.