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The 2014 Wellness Promotion Policy Annual Report
The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida
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Student Intervention Services - Health Services

Health Services is a component of the Coordinated School Health Program and is designed to provide emergency care for illness or injury, prevent and control communicable disease and other health problems, and promote a safe school environment.

  • default_titleThe provision of these health services is achieved through collaboration between the Health Care District of Palm Beach County (HCD), the Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County (FDOHPBC) and The School District of Palm Beach County.
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    All partners play an integral role in the delivery of basic health care to students on a daily basis. These nursing interventions allowed an average of over 86% of the students receiving care to return to the classroom during the 2013-2014 school year.

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School Nurse Program*

The school health collaboration with these partners places a school nurse in every regular school including nursing service support for the alternative, charter schools, and the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program. 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

80%

Released from school

20%

Health-room visits for medication and treatment within the school setting:

Medication Visits (25%)

166,502

Non Medication Visits (75%)

488,985

Total Visits

655,487

Prevention health interventions:

Hearing screening

47,816

Vision screening

48,052

BMI screening

34,709

Scoliosis screening

10,018

Total Screenings

140,595

* 2013-2014 (HCD) - School Health Data

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Comprehensive School Health Program
Comprehensive School Health services, provided by special state funding, allows the Palm Beach County Health Department to broaden the scope of the services available to meet the needs of the local community for low-income, high risk students.
  • The Comprehensive Schools are:The Comprehensive Schools are:
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  • default_titleAtlantic Community High
  • default_titleGlades Central Community High
  • default_titleCarver Community Middle
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  • The Comprehensive Schools are:The goals of the program are:
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  • default_titleReduce risk taking behaviors that lead to teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
  • default_titlePrevent abuse of substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
  • default_titlePromote access to counseling and health services.
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During the 2013-2014 school year, there were 16,284 health room visits and more than 31,000 school health services provided. The return to class rate for these schools was 95%.

* 2013-2014 (FDOHPBC) – School Health Data

Full School Health Services

Full School Health Services, provided by special state funding, allows the Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County to build collaborative relationships with school staff and community agencies and involve students as responsible partners in their care and encourage the role of the parent/guardian.

  • The Comprehensive Schools are:Rams Health Clinic is the only School Based Health Clinic in Palm Beach County to provide these Full Health Services:
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  • default_titleComprehensive physical services
  • default_titleOnsite mental health services
  • default_titleEasy or immediate access to healthcare
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  • The Comprehensive Schools are:Rams is located in Palm Beach Lakes Community High School, and is a satellite clinic of the Palm Beach County Health Department.
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  • The Comprehensive Schools are:Rams clinical services are provided by:
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  • default_titleAdvanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP)
  • default_titleLicensed Clinical Social Worker
  • default_titleStaff assistant
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  • The Comprehensive Schools are:Rams Health Clinic provided the following types of services to students in the 2013-2014 school year:
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  • default_titleDiagnosis and treatment of acute illness and injury
  • default_titleWell-child exams
  • default_titleManagement of chronic health conditions
  • default_titleBasic laboratory services
  • default_titleMedication prescription services
  • default_titleMental health services and interventional counseling
  • default_titleEmergency dental care referral
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Student Health Screenings

Screenings are mandated by Florida Administrative Code 64F-6.003 for vision, hearing and growth and development for grades K, 1, 3, and 6. Scoliosis screening is mandated for students in 6th grade only.

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    Vision and Hearing screenings and case management are conducted within the school setting by school nurses. In the 2013-2014 school year, the FDOHPBC contracted with the “Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program” to provide in-school free eye examinations for 1,198 students and eyeglasses to 1,092 students. 93% of students who were examined received eye glasses.

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    Height, weight, and postural measurements are obtained annually to identify those students with emerging health conditions that require a referral to primary health care providers for further evaluation.

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Preventive Dental Services

Student Intervention Services honored Dr. Philippe Bilger, DDS, MPH, Dental Executive Director, Florida Department of Health, Palm Beach County as the: “Outstanding Wellness Advocate” to the Palm Beach County School District in the 2013-2014 school year.

Dr. Phil Bilger was nominated for his ongoing efforts to improve the oral health of students in Palm Beach County schools. His understanding of the relationship between a healthy body and a healthy mouth has prompted him to provide dental sealant programs, fluoride rinse programs, and dental preventive care to many students within their schools. Dr. Bilger also worked to establish and coordinate the “Tooth Fairy” motor coach, a mobile dental unit that brings on-site intervention that can both identify and fix student dental problems on the spot.

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Additional dental programs provided to the schools includes volunteers recruited and coordinated by the Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County to 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; fluoride containing topical rinses help reduce this risk.

The Dental Sealant Project, funded by the Marjorie S. Fisher Fund, has provided dental screenings for over 23,000 children and placed over 61,000 sealants on second grade students since 1997. In the 2013-2014 school year, dental staff from the Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County provided this program in 29 Title 1 schools (see table below), examining over 2,000 children and placing over 6,000 sealants. This program utilizes a state of the art two dental chair mobile clinic on wheels called the “Tooth Fairy.” The team collaborates with school nurses to refer sealant program participating children needing urgent dental care. Fifty-one (51) children were referred to the health department clinics because of acute dental needs.

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    During the 2013-2014 school year, data continued to show that a high percentage of students needed dental care and one fourth of these had severe needs. This untreated dental decay was far above the national averages.

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The Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County - Dental Division’s Coordinated Oral Health Access Referral Program (COHARP) is a case management and referral program to help school children with acute dental needs. These children are referred from either the Dental Sealant Program, RAMS Health Clinic at Palm Beach Lakes HS, or from the school nurses in Palm Beach County schools. Children identified with immediate dental needs will have the ability to be seen for urgent care in one of the FDOHPBC clinics or contracted providers.

Prevention Programs

Outstanding prevention programs are offered in collaboration with community health partners to provide outstanding programs to address and prevent health issues within schools. This year the following partners were welcomed in Palm Beach County schools.

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    Open Airways for Schools – This program, provided by the American Lung Association, focuses on self-management skills to better handle one’s asthma through recognition of asthma triggers and symptoms, proper use of medication, and the development of an asthma action plan. 146 students at 16 elementary schools received the program from October to November, 2013.

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    Communicable Disease Control – The Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County Community & School Health Division provided immunization and other epidemiology expertise through annual student health record review, training, and education. In the 2013-2014 school year, Kindergarten compliance increased to 92.2% and 7th grade compliance increased to 97.1%.

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Health Services Staff Training

School staff members are trained annually to provide selected school health services under the guidance and training of licensed health professionals. The following training programs contribute to a safer school environment and provide immediate emergency response within the schools.

  • The Comprehensive Schools are:CPR/AED/First Aid
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    CPR/AED/First Aid certification is provided to all designated emergency responders in schools/departments.

  • default_titleDuring the 2013-2014 school year, 393 staff members were trained.
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  • The Comprehensive Schools are:Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Site Coordinator Training
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    AED Site Coordinator online training allows immediate guidance on the maintenance and operation of AEDs within the schools/departments.

  • default_titleDuring the 2013-2014school year, 41 staff members were trained.
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  • The Comprehensive Schools are:Health Room Designee/Unlicensed Assistive Personnel Training
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    Provides online education and health information as an adjunct to student specific health services training provided by school nurses within all schools.

  • default_titleDuring the 2013-2014 school year, 114 staff members were trained.
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  • The Comprehensive Schools are:Immunization and Medical Record Management
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    Provides updated information about school immunization requirements and appropriate student health record administration.

  • default_titleDuring the 2013-2014 school year, 208 staff members were trained.
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