Student Intervention Services – Health Services
Wellness is promoted in our schools through the provision of health services with our partners the Health Care District of Palm Beach County (HCD) and the Palm Beach County Health Department (PBCHD). All partners play an integral role in the delivery of basic health care to our students on a daily basis. School Nurses and Health Technicians delivered the following health services to the students in Palm Beach County for the 2009-2010 school year. These nursing interventions allowed 79% of the students receiving care to return to the classroom.
School Nurse Program*
The School District is fortunate to have a School Nurse in every regular school including nursing service support for the alternative and charter schools. The primary goal of this program is to advance the well-being, academic success, and life-long achievement of all students.
Student Return to Class Rates: |
|
| Returned to class | 79% |
| Released from school | 21% |
Health-room visits for medication and treatment within the school setting: |
|
| Medication Visits (19%) | 136,723 |
| Non Medication Visits (81%) | 529,887 |
Total Visits |
666,610 |
Prevention health interventions: |
|
| Hearing screening | 58,020 |
| Vision screening | 58,173 |
| BMI screening | 36,381 |
| Scoliosis screening | 10,260 |
Total Screenings |
162,834 |
* 2009-2010 (HCD) - School Health Data |
|
Scoliosis (Postural) Screenings
Postural screenings were provided to students in 6th grade to assess, evaluate and identify those with spinal deviations at an early stage of development. Early detection and intervention may prevent further structural deformity and further structural problems. Students with suspected spinal curvatures are referred to their primary health care provider for further evaluation.
Vision Services
This year the Health Care District of Palm Beach County provided school children with comprehensive vision and hearing screenings with referrals to countywide community optometrists and the School District’s Audiology Center for further evaluation and diagnosis.
Comprehensive School Health Program
The Comprehensive School Health Program, provided by special state funding, allows the Palm Beach County Health Department to staff each of three designated schools with a School Nurse and Health Support Technician. The goals of the program are to reduce risk taking behaviors that lead to teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, prevent abuse of substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and promote access to counseling and health services. The scope of the services available depends on the needs of the local community. Target population is low-income high-risk students. The Comprehensive Schools are: Atlantic Community High, Glades Central Community High, and Carver Community Middle School.
The students received the following services:
- medication and treatment
- intervention and prevention services
- health promotion and educational classes and activities focusing on risk-taking behaviors
- case management for teenage pregnancy
A total of 16,419 services were provided in the three Comprehensive Schools with a return to class rate of 89% for the 2009-2010 school year.
RAMS Health Clinic
This is a school–based clinic located in Palm Beach Lakes Community High School that is a satellite clinic of the Palm Beach County Health Department. It was created to provide social and medical services for students who otherwise would have no or limited access to needed health services. The ultimate goal is to increase opportunities for academic success through maximizing student health and attendance. Clinic services are provided by an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), Social Worker, and Staff Assistant. In the 2009-2010 school year (the third year of operation), 380 students received the following services:
- Social Interventions: 869
- Comprehensive Physical Examinations: 67
- Medical Services: 440*
- Immunizations Services: 146
*Medical Services were only provided from February 2010 through June 2010 due to ARNP vacancy.
Preventive Dental Services
Volunteers recruited and coordinated by the Palm Beach County Health Department assist elementary school children to maintain good dental health through a weekly fluoride mouth rinse program in schools located in non-fluoridated areas. Children in non-fluoridated areas are at an increased risk for dental decay and fluoride containing topical rinses help reduce this risk.
The Dental Sealant Project, funded by the Quantum Foundation and now by the Marjorie S. Fisher Fund, has provided dental screenings for over 15,000 children and placed over 40,000 sealants of second grade students since 1997. In the 2009-2010 school year, dental staff from the Palm Beach County Health Department provided this program in 23 Title I schools, examining over 1,550 children and placing over 4,200 sealants. The team collaborates with school nurses to refer sealant program participating children with acute urgent dental needs for dental care; eight children were treated in our clinic system.
- During the 2009-2010 school year, data showed that 50% of students needed dental care and 18% had severe needs. On baby teeth, 54% of kids had evidence of dental decay and 40% of children had untreated decay – this was far above the national averages.
- The state of the art mobile dental clinic, the “Tooth Fairy” began seeing children participating in the dental sealant program at two elementary schools. Staff has been hired to form a single dedicated team to operate the “Tooth Fairy”. In the 2010-2011 school year, the dental team will be delivering dental services to children in 23 target schools using the “Tooth Fairy”.
The Palm Beach County Health Department - Dental Division’s “Coordinated Oral Health Access Referral Program” (COHARP) has expanded the school nurse referral program from five schools to all schools as resources are available. Children identified with immediate dental needs will have the ability to be seen for urgent care in one of the Palm Beach County Health Department clinics or contracted providers.
- COHARP made arrangements for 66 uninsured children to receive urgently needed dental care and follow-up was provided with parents to aid them in the Florida KidCare application process.
- COHARP staff is also accepting referrals from the School District’s Teen Parent Program and the RAMS Health Clinic at Palm Beach Lakes Community High School.
Prevention Programs
The Palm Beach County Health Department (PBCHD) and other community partners work with Student Interventions Services to provide outstanding programs to prevent health issues within schools. Here are a few worth mentioning:
- Hand Washing Education – The PBCHD’s prevention focus this year provided hand-washing workbooks, sanitizer gels and germ kits to first graders in all schools. This project was well received by elementary school teachers.
- Dog Bite Prevention – The PBCHD’s prevention focus this year provided an instructional DVD and workbook activities that all students and teachers enjoyed.
- Open Airways for Schools – This program, provided by the American Lung Association, targets the recognition of asthma triggers, proper use of medication, and the development of an asthma action plan.
- Communicable Disease Control – The PBCHD’s immunization nurse from the Community & School Health Division provided expertise in the design and implementation of a school based online training program for school staff reviewing and receiving school entry health information.
- FluMist Initiative – The School District joined forces with the PBCHD, the HCD, and VaxCare Corporation and offered all elementary school children in Palm Beach County’s public schools free seasonal influenza vaccines at their school sites. 25% of elementary students received the vaccine with 18,560 doses given during October and November of 2009.
CPR/AED/First Aid
The Student Intervention Services (SIS) Department provides CPR/AED/First Aid certification to all health-room designees and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Site Coordinators in all schools. Over 400 staff members were trained during the 2009-2010 school year. AED Site Coordinator training was placed online this year to allow immediate guidance on how to maintain compliance with the maintenance and operation of AEDs.
