January 18, 2017
Dear Colleagues,
We continue to provide SBIRT in Schools trainings to districts across the state! Please continue to check the BU SHIELD website at www.shield-bu.org for an Introductory Program in your area! In addition, Implementation Essentials workshops are being provided locally at a district’s request by requesting a training at: http://www.masbirt.org/training-request And please check the MASBIRT in Schools website at http://www.masbirt.org/schools and the MASS Clearinghouse website at: https://massclearinghouse.ehs.state.ma.us/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SRCH for resources available for providing this screening in your middle schools and high schools, including the toolkit for School Health teams at http://massclearinghouse.ehs.state.ma.us/product/SA3536.html
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns related to this important initiative! We’re looking forward to seeing a representative from every district at the upcoming Regional meetings!
And thank you once again for all you do to keep our children healthy and safe!
Mary Ann, Janet and Carol
“Diversity is making sure everyone is invited to the party. Inclusion is asking them to dance!”–Donna Brazile, American author and political analyst
School Nurses in the News:
Congratulations to new NCSN’s (recently reported to the School Health Unit!):
Cheryl Boli
Alicia Bryant
Maureen Floyde
Jean Liddy
Margaret O’Brien
Sarah Phillips
Diane Richard
From the Natick Public Schools:
Please see the attached newsletter, 180 Days with T1D, written by one of Natick’s School Nurses, Danielle King. If you would like to be on her listserve to receive this newsletter, please email Danielle directly at dking@natickps.org Danielle is also speaking at the JDRF Conference in February and at the MSNO Conference in April. Thank you, Danielle, for sharing this work with us.
From the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
Registration is now open for EPA’s webinar:
3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools:
January 30th, 2017 1:00pm ETLead is a toxic metal that is harmful to human health. Since children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure and they spend a significant portion of their day in schools, testing drinking water in schools and reducing lead levels is extremely important. The 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools was developed using a training, testing, telling approach, to assist schools in Implementing a voluntary lead testing program. This webinar will provide a background on lead in drinking water, suggested steps for sampling at schools, discuss appropriate remediation measures, and the important aspects of an effective communication strategy.
Registration Link: http://login.icohere.com/registration/register.cfm?reg=3416&evt=3TsJan2017
FROM THE MDPH Office of Sexual Health and Youth Development:
The current newsletter from the MDPH Office of Sexual Health and Youth Development is now available at: http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=0c011e8c82e0df73fce686698&id=dc35e2bcc2&e=11542688fd
You will find this newsletter very informative!
Interagency Conference for Schools:
Massachusetts Statewide Conference: Building Better School and Police Relationships to Improve Outcomes for Children and Youth
To help identify best practices to support students with significant behavioral support needs when interacting with educators and law enforcement.
Offered in partnership with the Department of Mental Health, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Early Education and Care, Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools
Tuesday, February 7th, 2017 from 9 AM – 12 PM in Worcester, MA (College of the Holy Cross). This conference is being offered in partnership with Department of Mental Health, maaps, ASE, DESE, EEC, and the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association.
PLEASE NOTE: Limited space is available and the registration deadline is Wednesday, January 25, 2017. To register for this event, please click the link below or copy and paste into your browser:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BuildingBetterRelationshipsReg
From the Boston Medical Center Developmental Pediatrics Program:
The Boston University CME/CNE Office is sponsoring an annual Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Conference on March 10th and 11th, 2017 at the Trustees Ballroom on the BU Charles River Campus. You can get more information about the event here: http://bucme.org/live/1171 School nurses are welcome to attend -previous programs have been highly rated!
From the MDPH Immunization Program:
Call for Nominations: 2017 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award Deadline: February 10, 2017 CDC is pleased to announce that it is accepting nominations for the CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/champions/index.html
This annual award recognizes an individual who makes a significant contribution toward improving public health through his or her work in childhood immunization. Up to one awardee is chosen from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. CDC will announce the award recipients during National Infant Immunization Week https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/index.html which will be held April 22-29, 2017.
Nominations for this year’s award should be submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). See contact information below. A MDPH nominations committee will recommend one outstanding candidate to the CDC for this year’s award.
If you know an immunization champion, please nominate him or her. MDPH urges you to think about a person in your practice, agency or community whose everyday commitment to immunizations helps to protect Massachusetts children from vaccine preventable diseases. Please describe and provide concrete examples of how the nominee goes above and beyond to promote or foster immunizations in his or her community among children 0-2 years old.
Click here https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/champions/downloads/nomination.pdf to access the award nomination form. The form includes detailed information about award criteria and eligibility, and the process for completing a nomination. Please note that page 6 of the nomination form includes a checklist of specific activities or associations that could exclude a nominee from consideration.
The 2016 Massachusetts recipient of the award was Ronald Samuels, MD, MPH. Click here https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/champions/profiles-2016.html#ma to read Dr. Samuels’ award profile.
Please complete the nomination form, and submit it by email or fax by February 10, 2017 to:
Rebecca Vanucci
Immunization Outreach Coordinator, Immunization Program
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
rebecca.vanucci@state.ma.us or fax: 617-983-6840
From the It’s My Heart New England Chapter:
Information concerning 4 scholarships the It’s My Heart New England Chapter is awarding can be found in the weblink below. Each one is in the amount of $1,500 for 2017. The scholarships are awarded to qualified high school and college students who either have been diagnosed with Congenital Heart Defect (CHD), been the recipient of a heart transplant or those who have a family member (sibling, child, parent) or close relative diagnosed with CHD. There are other requirements which are listed in the attachment.
If you would like more information about our group, just check out our website. You can also access information about the scholarships there as well. http://www.itsmyheartnewengland.org
Lynda Di Vasta
Family Committee-Events Coordinator
It’s My Heart New England Chapter
Phone: 351-201-1533 / Cell: 617-378-1825
Website: http://www.itsmyheartnewengland.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IMHBostonMA
From the US Health Resources and Services Administration: NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program
The 2017 NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program
The purpose of the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program (NURSE Corps LRP) is to assist in the recruitment and retention of professional registered nurses (RNs), including advanced practice RNs (APRNs), who are dedicated to working in eligible health care facilities with a critical shortage of nurses or eligible schools of nursing. We support RNs, APRNs, and nurse faculty by paying up to 85% of their unpaid nursing education debt.
Webinar and Technical Assistance Calls
Apply for the 2017 NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program – We’re accepting applications through February 23, 2017.
Read the 2017 Application and Program Guidance (PDF – 502 KB)1
Watch this pre-recorded webinar
Join a Technical Assistance Call
Thursday, January 26 – Call #1
2:00-4:00 PM ET
Call in Number: 888-790-1751
Participant passcode: 3509954
Thursday, February 16 – Call #2
7:00-9:00 PM ET
Call in Number: 800-369-1747
Participant passcode: 4128441