August 28, 2017

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to a new school year!  We hope that you’ve had some time to retreat, relax, reflect and renew over the summer!  The coming school year is sure to be an exciting one in School Health with lots of changes on the horizon! 

 This email will be the first to update you on some new information related to vision screening, emergency anaphylaxis plans and other news for all school health staff!  Please stay tuned to this essential updates and those that follow in order to remain current with your practice.  Please be sure to check out the BU SHIELD website for the many new additions – especially the resource page – and a new PPT to use for training unlicensed school personnel in medication administration!  Go to www.shield-bu.org and click on resources in the left-hand column of the page.   A separate email update related to SBIRT will be sent soon. 

 We extend our best wishes for a pleasant new school year!
Mary Ann, Carol and Janet

 Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. Elizabeth Gilbert,  writer

SCHOOL NURSES IN THE NEWS!
Congratulations to Lee Waingortin, BSN, RN, NCSN, CCM, Director of Nursing for the Hudson Public Schools, for completing the requirements for the DESE Supervisor/ Director license!  And congratulations to Brenna L. Quinn, PhD, RN, NCSN, assistant professor, at the Solomont School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Lowell and a School nurse in the Lexington Public Schools for publication of the research report in the Journal of School Nursing,  “Improving School Nurse Pain Assessment Practices for Students With Intellectual Disability”.

RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION UPDATE

From the MDPH Immunization Program:

To address concerns about religious exemptions to vaccines and ensure that the student body is best protected from vaccine preventable disease, beginning in the fall of 2017, religious exemptions to vaccination must be renewed annually, like medical exemptions.

Any student who currently has a religious exemption on file will be allowed to maintain that exemption for the 2017-18 school year, but it will have to be renewed for the 2018-19 school year.  Parents/Guardians should be informed that moving forward, all religious exemptions must be renewed annually.  An annual renewal means that parents/guardians must write and sign a new religious exemption.  All religious exemptions should be dated by the signing parent/guardian to allow for monitoring of annual renewals each school year.   Annual renewal of exemptions should occur at the start of each school year.

If you have any questions, please contact the Immunization Program Assessment Unit at 617-983-4330 or email immassessmentunit@state.ma.us.

FREE SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION TRAINING FROM MDPH:

For School Nurses, Health Educators and Teams:  Effectively Preventing Prescription Drug Misuse and Other Drug Use (Evidence-Based Middle School Prevention Training)

Four 1-day Training Options (only one day required)
8:30 (Registration) 9:00 AM-4:30PM

CERTIFICATION IS GRANTED AFTER ATTENDING ONE OF THESE DAYS. Prior registration is required. Although not required, teams from schools/districts are encouraged to attend. Level 1 is for 6^th or 7^th grade; but schools implementing it for the first time can also offer it to 8^th graders. Free Life Skills Training Curricula and Student Materials for 6-8^th will be provided.

Dates and Locations for upcoming FREE trainings:

• October 17, 2017, Miranda Creamer Building, Boston
• October 18, 2017, Hampton Inn, Worcester
• October 19, 2017, Delaney House, Holyoke
• October 20, 2017, Crowne Plaza, Pittsfield

Teacher and Student Materials are free. Lunch is provided.  Accessible by Public Transportation or free parking

Registration: Please visit http://www.cvent.com/d/74q78p/6T for information and to complete the required registration. (See attached flier for more information)

6.0 hours per day of training will be awarded: the CEUs can be used for nurses; PDPs for other educators; and 6.5 hours for Certified Prevention Specialists (CPS) Credits

CONCUSSION TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT WEBINAR

From the MDPH Concussion Program:  The Massachusetts Medical Society along with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts has produced and made available to healthcare professionals and to the public a new online 1 ½ hour webinar aimed at identifying and managing  concussions as well as fully understanding the physical and cognitive limitations that can occur after a concussion. The multi-media program, “Concussion Treatment, Management and Prevention,” includes an overview of the signs,  symptoms and treatment of concussion,  recommendations for graduated return to play and return to learn for students who have suffered a concussion and an overview of policies and procedures required by the Mass. sports concussion regulations.

The program’s expert panel includes James Gessner, MD, Immediate Past President of the Massachusetts Medical Society; Michael Beasley, MD, Staff Physician, Boston Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine; Kathleen Thornton,  MS, LAT, CSCS, Team Leader Injury Prevention,  Southcoast Health; Alan G. Kulberg, MD, Berkshire Medical Center Concussion Clinic ; and Linda Brown, MBA, of the Mass. Department of Public Health.

Here are the links to the training:
Free videos on conference archives page.
www.massmed.org/ConcussionTreatmentManagementandPrevention    

For CMEs go to the Online CME course
www.massmed.org/CME/ConcussionTreatmentManagementandPrevention   

For more information contact Linda Brown at Mass. Department of Public Health at linda.brown@state.ma.us.

INSTRUMENT-BASED VISION SCREENING

From the Prevent Blindness Coalition:  More pediatric practices are now using instrument-based screening tools for vision screen.  Please know that the SPOT vision screening tool (and similar instrument-based tools) are approved by MDPH for 3, 4, 5 year olds, and that it replaces acuity (chart) and stereopsis (RandomE).  Some school nurse(s) are sending forms back to pediatricians if results of stereopsis (RanE) are not noted and telling parents that the screen is incomplete.  Please see the attached article Implementation of Instrument-Based Vision Screening that discusses the appropriate implementation of instrument-based vision screening in the preschool population.

NEW STREAMLINED YOUTH TREATMENT REFERRAL PROCESS

The MDPH Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS) announces a new streamlined process to access the developmentally appropriate residential level of care for adolescents and young adults, in order to better meet the needs of young people experiencing problems as a result of their use of alcohol and other drugs, see: Youth and Young Adult Referral Process Update.  Effective August 15, 2017 Massachusetts residents and youth and young adult serving agencies can directly refer to any youth and young adult program in the BSAS continuum of care without necessitating prior authorization from Youth Central Intake Care Coordination.

More information and assistance with referral is provided by the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline at 800-327-5050 or http://helplinema.org   The Massachusetts Helpline will continue to work with families and other key stakeholders to devise the most appropriate course of action for adolescents and young adults ages 13-24 in need of treatment for their use of substances. Options include:

1. Placement in a stabilization program
2. Placement directly at residential programs without a prior stay at stabilization level of care
3. Referrals to statewide outpatient, community-based Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA) services

The Massachusetts Helpline can also assist callers with information about access to BSAS adult treatment services.  Please refer to the attached list of BSAS youth and young adult service providers for direct referral placements: Youth and Young Adult Treatment Contact Information for Referrals.   For questions regarding this transition please contact Jessica Hudon from BSAS at 617-624-5330 or Jessica.Hudon@state.ma.us

2017 US ASTHMA SUMMIT: SAVE THE DATE!
Allergy & Asthma Network and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) are pleased to invite you to the 2017 US Asthma Summit. The summit will take place on Friday, October 27, 2017 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel.  Join us for an engaging one-day event to discuss current trends in asthma care, asthma disparities, in-home interventions, effective advocacy efforts, reimbursement and sustainability, collaboration opportunities and strategies to advance the implementation of Guidelines-based asthma care throughout the United States. The Summit will be held in conjunction with the ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston.

Facilitator: Tracy Enger, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Registration is free. Breakfast & lunch are included

Who should attend?
Asthma coalitions, state and local asthma programs, community organizations, foundations/non-profits, health departments, health care providers, community health workers and all stakeholders involved in asthma care.

When: Friday, October 27, 2017
Where: Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel- Tremont Room
110 Huntington Avenue. Boston, MA 02116
Time: 7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Complete agenda and speakers coming soon.
REGISTER NOW

ACAAI has a block of rooms available.  If you would like to use their event rate, please go to the ACAAI web site to make your reservation.

HOTEL SCHOLARSHIPS 
Limited travel scholarships are available. Awardees receive $500 for travel and hotel accommodations. Please fill out the  2017 USAsthma Summit Scholarship Form   and send it by email to the address listed below or by fax to 703-288.5271 no later than September 8, 2017. Scholarships will be awarded by September 11, 2017.

For more information please contact
Marcela Gieminiani
Director of Outreach
mgieminiani@allergyasthmanetwork.org
Office: 703-641.9595
Direct: 703-942.5660

FOR THOSE PLANNING TO TAKE THE NCSN EXAM:

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has opened a discussion list for school nurses considering or taking the National Certification for School Nurses exam. This community is for individuals thinking about or preparing to take the national school nursing certification exam governed by the National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN). It is open to all individuals. The community is monitored by Pat Krin, NBCSN Executive Director nbcsnexec@nbcsn.org. You can join this community whether or not you are a member of NASN, it is open to everyone. You do have to register on the NASN site to join the community.

If you are a member just point your browser to http://schoolnursenet.nasn.org/home and log into your account. Click on Communities and choose All Communities from the dropdown list.  Scroll down to National Certification Exam Candidates and click on the join button. You can choose whether you want the messages to come to you in real time or as a daily digest.

If you are not a member point your browser to http://schoolnursenet.nasn.org/home. When you click on All Communities you will be asked to create and account by entering a username and password. After you have created your account follow the directions above.

You can use this discussion list to ask questions, share resources, form online study groups and work with other school nurses to prepare for the exam.  This list is monitored so any questions you have can be answered by someone knowledgeable about the process.  We cannot answer questions that pertain to what is specifically on the exam, but can answer questions about process, logistics, etc.
Pat Krin MSN, RN, FNP-BC, NCSN, FNASN
Executive Director, NBCSN

FROM BOSTON CHILDRENS HOSPITAL – UPCOMING PROGRAMS:

Save the Date:  BCH’s Pediatric Diabetes Update will be held Wednesday, November 15, 2017  at the Forefront Center for Meetings and Conferences in Waltham, MA.  And a reminder that BCH’s online RETELL courses will be available until December, 2017 at http://ceiretell.lendboston.org

FREE ANCC APPROVED CEUS AVAILABLE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES:

Please see the attached brochure from the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) for more information.

MA PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION HEALTH SAFETY AND WELLNESS COMMITTEE

Registration for the November 16, 2017 2017 Mass PTA Health Summit: Taking Action! Keeping our Children, Schools, Families, and our Communities Healthy! To be held at the Conference Center at Waltham Woods, Waltham , MA is now available at www.masspta.org  

KALÉO ANNOUNCES AUVI-Q^® CHARITABLE DONATION PROGRAM FOR ALL PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS:

Kaléo, a privately-held pharmaceutical company, today announced a new charitable product donation program, offering AUVI-Q^® (epinephrine injection, USP) Auto-injectors free of charge to all public elementary schools in the United States. The new program, “Q Your School,” provides up to four AUVI-Q cartons (each carton contains two epinephrine auto-injectors and a Trainer) per school per academic year, as well as access to educational materials on how to identify and respond to life-threatening allergic emergencies.

AUVI-Q (0.15 mg and 0.3 mg) is a FDA-approved prescription medicine used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people who are at risk for or have a history of serious allergic reactions. It is an epinephrine auto-injector (EAI) with innovative features such as voice instructions that help guide a user with step-by-step instructions through the epinephrine delivery process and an automatic retractable needle system, a first for epinephrine auto-injectors, that injects the epinephrine and retracts the needle back into the device within seconds. AUVI-Q is not a substitute for emergency medical care.

“There are nearly 6 million children, under 18, living with life threatening allergies,” said Spencer Williamson, President and CEO of kaléo. “We are proud to offer the “Q Your School” charitable donation program offering free AUVI-Q Auto-injectors to all public elementary schools across the nation.”

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are approximately 67,000 public elementary schools in America[i]. Through the Kaléo Cares Product Donation Program, qualified applicants may apply to receive up to four AUVI-Q cartons (each carton contains two epinephrine auto-injectors and a Trainer) per school per academic year, free of charge. There are no obligations, such as marketing or product exclusivity requirements, attached to the “Q Your School” program.

“Schools play an important role in helping to keep kids with food allergies safe,” said Melanie Carver, Vice President of Community Services at the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA). “This is an exciting program because it helps schools be better prepared to recognize and respond to life-threatening allergic emergencies.  Not all kids with food allergies are the same. They may have different needs and preferences,” said Tonya Winders, President & CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Network (AAN). “This is an exciting announcement because it helps schools to be more aware of the various epinephrine auto-injector options now available to students at risk for a life-threatening allergic emergency and know how to use them in an emergency.”  Information and an application for the “Q Your School” program, please visit https://kaleopharma.com/who-we-are/kaleo-cares/.  To learn more about AUVI-Q (0.15 mg and 0.3 mg), please visit www.auvi-q.com.

NASN is Now Accepting Abstract Submissions for NASN2018

NASN is seeking abstracts that support the NASN2018 learning outcomes and incorporate learner-centered strategies. Consider submitting an abstract for the 50th Annual NASN Conference, Power of the Past, Force of the Future. This milestone event happens in Baltimore, Maryland from June 30 – July 3, 2018. Learn more.

Introducing the New Allergy and Anaphylaxis Care Plan From the American Academy of Pediatrics

While not open access as of yet, we have permission to attach a copy!  NASN members can access it online here:   http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1942602X17713759

REGIONAL CONSULTANT CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mary Ann Gapinski, MSN, RN, NCSN
Director of School Health Services/ School SBIRT Coordinator
MA Department of Public Health
250 Washington Street – 5^th Floor
Boston, MA  02108
mary.gapinski@state.ma.us
Website: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/community-health/primarycare-healthaccess/school-health/
SBIRT information:  www.masbirt.org/schools