Charles County Public Schools and the Charles County Department of Health opened the Dr. Chinnadurai Devadason School-Based Health Center at Indian Head Elementary School on Thursday April 16 2026 marking the first school-based health center in the county.
The grand opening ceremony is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. that day at the facility located on the campus of Indian Head Elementary School at 4200 Indian Head Highway in Indian Head. The center provides primary preventive and urgent care services directly on a school campus to help students stay healthy and ready to learn.
The clinic operates as a partnership between Charles County Public Schools and the Charles County Department of Health. It serves all students enrolled in Charles County Public Schools even though it is physically located at Indian Head Elementary. Services are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with walk-ins and scheduled appointments accepted. The phone number for appointments and information is 301-944-1087.
Available clinical services include sick visits injury visits wellness visits physicals including sports physicals required for Charles County Public Schools students and school health inventories. The center accepts most insurance plans including Medicaid and offers a sliding-scale payment option for eligible clients.
Parents or guardians must complete enrollment forms to access services. Forms are available online at the Charles County Department of Health website or can be filled out on site at the clinic or requested from a child’s school nurse. The center will be closed on federal holidays as well as on May 8 and May 11 2026.
The facility is named after Dr. Chinnadurai Devadason who served as Charles County Health Officer from 1983 to 1988 and again from 1995 to 2012. Dr. Devadason was known locally as Dr. D for his long dedication to public health in the county.
This opening expands health and wellness resources for students across Charles County in Southern Maryland. School-based health centers reduce barriers to care by bringing services onto campus which can decrease missed school days and support academic success. Families in communities like Indian Head gain convenient access to routine and acute care without needing to arrange separate transportation or time off work.
The center adds to existing school health efforts in Charles County that date back to the 1990s. Officials say the new facility addresses gaps in access particularly for preventive care and minor illnesses that might otherwise keep children out of class. It aligns with broader goals to improve student wellness in a region where rural and suburban families sometimes face challenges reaching off-site medical providers.
For Southern Maryland residents in Charles County the development means local students can receive timely care close to their schools. This is especially valuable in areas with limited pediatric providers or for working parents balancing schedules. The partnership ensures coordination between health staff school nurses and families while protecting student privacy through standard consent and information-sharing protocols.
More information including full enrollment details is available by visiting https://charlescountyhealth.org/school-based-health-clinic/ or calling 301-944-1087. The center is part of the Maryland School-Based Health Center Program and operates with staff from or contracted by the Charles County Department of Health.
