ALBANY — Immigrants and refugees arriving to Albany should have an easier time getting their kids vaccinated and healthy for school thanks to an expanding partnership between the city school district and Whitney Young Health.

The health center announced Wednesday that its mobile health unit — quite literally, a doctor's office on wheels — will start making monthly visits to North Albany Academy, which is home to an elementary school and, starting this fall, a new program for students who are new to the country and the English language.

"Many of our refugee students have chronic and acute health issues," said Kaweeda Adams, who started her job as superintendent Monday. "This service that Whitney Young provides can help us with the vaccinations, so that we can be proactive with many of those health care concerns our students arrive with."

The mobile health unit, dubbed Whitney on Wheels, is staffed with a driver and doctor who are licensed to provide care that school nurses cannot, including administering shots and writing prescriptions.

To better serve its rapidly growing population of immigrants and refugees, the school district is launching a program this fall at the North Albany school for 6-12 graders who are new to the English language. Many of these students arrive to the country without the proper immunizations, and in some cases, with wartime injuries and other health concerns caused by long stays in refugee camps.

Bringing care directly to the students and their families should help cut down on the number of school days missed for doctor's appointments, Adams said.

"It may not be obvious to everyone, but health and school success are closely related," she said. "Sick children tend to miss school more often than children who are healthy. And missing school often means children run the risk of failing or dropping out."

The city school district first teamed up with Whitney Young Health 10 years ago to open a health clinic in one of its elementary schools. Today, the center runs clinics at three elementary schools in the city and offers mobile services to students and families at Myers Middle School.

Whitney Young began offering mobile services in the community about three years ago, in part because efforts to bring health services directly to school sites often encounter regulatory roadblocks. In-school health clinics have minimum staffing requirements, which can strain budgets, and are not allowed to serve anyone who is not enrolled as a student, including siblings, parents and school staff.

The mobile doctor's office is a cheaper and more flexible alternative.

As part of the expanded partnership announced Wednesday, the mobile unit will also start visiting Myers more often — about two times a week.

"The concern I've always had over the years with the school clinics is we can treat a 6-year-old for strep throat, but not their 3-year-old sibling who you can bet two days from now is going to wind up with the same strep throat," said David Shippee, president and CEO of Whitney Young Health. "We don't have that problem with the mobile unit."

Students and family members without insurance can pay for their visit on a sliding fee scale based on family income, he said.

The mobile services are open to any student or staff member at North Albany Academy, and their family members.

Whitney Young Health provides translators for more than 40 languages.