Jessica Miehe. Photo: Bear Cares Clinic
Health is integral to student success, and at White Bear Lake Area High School class of 2003 graduate Jessica Miehe, DNP, MSN, RN, PHN, oversees an innovative program to ensure all students have access to health care.
Miehe is the founder and executive director of nonprofit Rise Up Health Clinics. Its Bear Care Clinic, located in North Campus, provides accessible, affordable health care for children in the school district, including sports physicals, wellness exams, illness care and immunizations. Services are often offered at no cost, and the clinic tends to all children, regardless of their insurance status. It also offers no-cost mental health counseling, plus nutrition and health education.
During its first year of operation in 2020, Bear Care Clinic served 470 children. In 2022–23, the clinic provided no-cost health care to over 1,300 children and students. This year, 15 mobile clinics are scheduled, going out to other schools in the district and to transitional or low-income housing developments.
“People view our community as affluent and resistant to economic and health issues,” Miehe says. “Though maybe a bit more hidden from plain sight, many of our friends, family members and neighbors face challenges, including finding affordable health care.”
For more information, visit facebook.com/bearcareclinic.
In celebration of the dedicated volunteers that uplift this community, the Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation spotlights a noteworthy local citizen or initiative in each issue. Learn more at gwblcf.org.
