Quincy Public Schools

Program Improvement Plan

Health Services

2024 - 2025

Andrea Huwar, MEd BSN RN

Coordinator of Health Services

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Mission Statement                                        p. 3

2. Health Service Coordinator’s Message        p. 4

3. Program Description                                        p. 5

4. District Improvement Plan Alignment         

1. Team Organizational & Alignment Chart         p. 6

2. Reflection of 2023-2024 Goals                        p. 7

3. Health Services 2024-2025 Goals                p. 9

• Team Name(s), Chairperson, Purpose
• Goals & Action Steps
• Related Professional Development
• Membership and Meeting Dates

5. Appendix                                                        p. 16

I.   Health Services Mission Statement

The mission of the Quincy Public Schools’ Health Services Team is to promote, protect and enhance the health status of all students.  School nurses assess and intervene to address actual and potential health concerns.  We support the social, emotional and physical well-being of students to facilitate optimal learning. Nurses encourage a collaborative partnership of all students, parents, community members and school staff to achieve this mission.

II. Health Services Coordinator’s Message

I am pleased to share with you our commitment to enhancing our school health initiatives through a comprehensive Program Improvement Plan. Our primary objective is to optimize the health and well-being of every student in our care, thereby supporting their overall academic success and personal development.

The Program Improvement Plan will focus on several key areas that are crucial for promoting a healthy school environment:

1.          Health Services Enhancement: We are dedicated to enhancing our health services to ensure they are easily accessible and responsive to the needs of students. This involves streamlining processes, improving communication channels, and implementing evidence-based practices in health care delivery.

2.          Health Promotion and Education: We will continue our health promotion efforts by incorporating health education initiatives that address the diverse needs of our student population. This includes using updated curriculum content to reflect current health trends and fostering a culture of wellness within our school community.

3.          Professional Development: We are committed to providing ongoing professional development opportunities for our health staff to ensure they are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills in school health management and care.

4.          Collaborative Partnerships: We recognize the importance of collaboration with parents, guardians, community organizations, and healthcare providers. We will actively engage these stakeholders to create a network of support that enhances the health and well-being of our students both in and out of school.

5.          Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data to drive our decision-making processes will be a cornerstone of our Program Improvement Plan. By regularly assessing the effectiveness of our initiatives and interventions, we can make informed adjustments to better meet the needs of our students.

As we embark on this journey to enhance our school health initiatives, your support and feedback are invaluable. Together, we can create a healthier environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive academically and personally.  Thank you for your continued dedication to the well-being of our students. I look forward to working collaboratively with each of you to achieve our shared goals.

Andrea Huwar

Andrea Huwar, M.Ed., BSN, RN

Coordinator of Health Services

III. Program Description

The QPS Health Services staff work to enhance the educational process by the modification or removal of health-related barriers to learning. Our team works to foster a safe and healthful school environment promoting an optimal level of wellness. School nurses meet the health needs of students with a variety of special medical issues. Nurses work closely with students, families, school staff and health care providers to ensure that the medical needs of the student can be safely met throughout the school day.  The least amount of disruption is taken into consideration so the student does not miss learning opportunities in the classroom.

School nurses provide a wide range of direct patient care services ranging from basic first aid, episodic care, emergency care, and chronic illness management.  Nurses have scheduled daily visits for medications, treatments and procedures as well as students and staff that visit the health office for illness assessment and health consultation on an as needed basis.  As required by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, school nurses also conduct routine health screenings of students at various grade levels on an annual basis. We will collaborate with MASS Healthy Smiles for dental screenings in each school.

Nurses keep individualized student health records and track valuable data regarding the type and frequency of health encounters that occur in school health offices.  As the school nurse becomes familiar with the students, she is able to track health visits and identify repeated patterns of medical symptoms, which lead to a detailed health assessment, direct intervention and referral when necessary.

Nurses at all levels take an active role in providing health education to all students.  Individual health education is provided to students upon each health encounter. Each nurse is also a member of their individual school’s Wellness Team, which focuses on promoting healthy habits and creating a healthier school environment by promoting increased social-emotional support, physical activity, and healthy eating. School nurses are directly involved in conducting school inventories and identifying team goals that positively influence a healthy lifestyle, nutrition and physical activity behaviors.  Nurses also provide annual health education to staff, regarding health and safety issues including:  first aid measures, universal precautions, blood borne pathogens, anaphylaxis and emergency care.

IV.   District Improvement Plan Alignment

  a.    Team Organizational & Alignment Chart

b. Reflection of 2023-2024 Goals

Health Services Team Goals:

(1)  The Health Services team will create a school-wide public health campaign that increases staff, student and family awareness and knowledge of preventative health measures related to preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as strep throat, conjunctivitis, Influenza and Covid-19. During the 2023-2024 year, the focus will continue to be on infectious illness preventative health measures with emphasis on recognizing/reporting illness symptoms, proper handwashing and immunizations.  (This was a continuation goal initiated in September 2022.)

Reflection:  We created a school-wide public health campaign that aimed to increase staff, student and family awareness and knowledge of preventative health measures related to preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as strep throat, conjunctivitis and respiratory viruses. This included: identifying Flu or COVID-19 Symptoms; identifying health and safety measures to prevent the spread of not only influenza and covid-19 but all other respiratory viruses (i.e. handwashing, social distancing, and staying home when you are sick; monitoring health symptoms (i.e. fever, headache, cough, loss of taste and sense of smell); knowing what to do if you tested positive for the flu or COVID-19; having students and staff follow the MDPH and DESE Covid guidelines and strategies while in school and when outside being social.

One of the most important things a school nurse can do is to increase school attendance rates by using their nursing assessment skills to keep students in school when deemed healthy enough to stay in school. These past four years have been extremely challenging due to the ever-changing MDPH, DESE and CDC guidelines.  Students still had to be sent home for respiratory symptoms that in years past they would have been able to send back to class and stay in school. We will continue with this goal in order to emphasize preventing the spread of infectious illnesses.

(2) The Health Services Team will participate in Professional Development Programs throughout the 2023-2024 school year that will concentrate on enhancing nursing assessment skills and knowledge with a focus on ENT assessments, orthopedic assessments, seizure assessments and food allergy updates.  

Reflection:  Nurse’s participated in two professional development seminars presented by Boston Children’s Hospital in the areas of Otolaryngology (ENT) assessment and Orthopedic assessment in order to enhance and update their knowledge and skills while performing ear, nose, throat and orthopedic assessments when students visit their offices to be evaluated for issues related to these assessments. They also attended a Seizure Training for School Nurses in which they learned the most up to date treatments and diagnosis of Epilepsy otherwise known as a Seizure disorder. Nurses were also able to attend a training offered by Dr. Elizabeth Burke-Roberts of Boston Children’s Hospital regarding updated information on the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatments of Food Allergies including life-threatening food allergies.

c.  Health Services 2024-2025 Goals

TEAM:        Health Services Team

CHAIR:        Andrea Huwar, M.Ed BSN RN

PURPOSE:          To promote, protect, and enhance the health status of all students.

GOALS:

1. The Health Services team will focus on preventing the spread of infectious illnesses such as measles, streptococcus/staphylococcus infections, and respiratory viruses by creating a school-wide public health campaign that increases staff, student and family awareness and knowledge. Our goal is to help decrease chronic absenteeism by educating our community in preventing the spread of infectious illnesses. During the 2024-2025 year, the focus will continue to be on infectious illness preventative health measures with emphasis on recognizing/reporting illness symptoms, proper handwashing and immunizations.

2. The Health Services Team will participate in Professional Development Programs throughout the 2024-2025 school year that will focus on enhancing nursing assessment skills and knowledge of Cardiac Assessment, Respiratory Assessment and updated BLS skills and certification.

3. The Health Services Team will improve access to vision care services for students through strategic partnerships with community organizations and healthcare providers. This will be a pilot program.

Related Staff Professional Development:

Health Services Team Membership:                          

Health Services Team Meeting Schedule:

TEAM:        Health, Nutrition & Wellness Advisory Council

CHAIR:        Andrea Huwar, M.Ed BSN RN

PURPOSE: To oversee implementation of Massachusetts Law c.111, 233, 105 CMR 215: Standards for School Wellness Advisory Committees; CMR 225: Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages in Public Schools; Section 204 of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010, Public  Law 111-296, Local School Wellness Policy Implementation and Public Law 108-265 Local Wellness Policies which sets the standards for the establishment and implementation of School Wellness Policies and Advisory Committees.

Goals:  

(1)  The Health, Nutrition and Wellness Advisory Team will review and update the Quincy Public Schools Wellness Policy as needed by June 2025.  This will include submitting a draft revised Policy to the Quincy School Committee by March 2025.

(2) To provide guidance and support to individual school wellness teams throughout the 2024-2025 school year.

Health, Nutrition and Wellness Advisory Team Membership:

Team Meeting Schedule:

APPENDIX

1. Staff Training at the first Principal’s Meeting taught by nurses to all staff.

2. Newsletters to Families:

        https://secure.smore.com/n/e0f6b

3.  Health Services 23-24 Data:

• 105,928 student encounters (91,088) (75,870)
• 100,689 students returned to class (79,502) (68,428)
• 37 diagnosed head injuries (in school) (56) (58)
• 39 diagnosed head injuries (outside of school) (24) (79)
• 11,968 scheduled doses of medication administered (10,840) (10,019)
•  7,928 prn doses of medication administered (4,279) (6,093)
• 20,563 documented nursing communication with parents/guardians (18,036) (24,783)
•  9,591 documented nursing communication with school staff (7,710) (19,975)
•  911 documented nursing communication with community agencies (973) (11,626)
• 89 staff members certified in CPR/AED (168) (123)
• 3,280 students with healthcare needs (2,754)
• 572 Students with Life threatening Allergies. (542) (344)
• 24 Students with Type 1 Diabetes. (26) (20)
•  862 students with Asthma and other respiratory disorders. (930) (871)
•  76 with Seizure disorders. (55) (61)

*Number in parenthesis represents (23-24) and (22-23) data for comparison.

4.  A Matter of Heart

• All 8th Grade students were taught Hands Only CPR from January 29th through February 2nd.
• 60 students and 36 parents completed the full certification class at Central Middle School on Saturday, February 3rd.
• We thank Brewster Ambulance CPR Instructors, as well as the QPS nurses, Middle School Principals, custodians, IT department, Mike Draichhio, Keith Segalla and Janice Erler for helping to provide this opportunity to our students.
• This initiative will continue in the 24-25 school year.

5.   A Day of Vision Initiative

• A partnership with Manet Health Center, King Optical and the Lions Club was piloted at the end of last school year to increase student access to vision exams and the opportunity to receive glasses if needed. (Pilot schools were Parker, Montclair, Atlantic and NQHS.)
• Students who failed the school vision screening and had not been able to get a vision exam by an eye doctor were referred to sign up for an appointment at Manet Community Health Center in North Quincy.
• Those needing glasses were able to pick them out at the appointment and the order was placed. (Financial assistance was given if needed, otherwise insurance benefits were used.)
• 10 students were seen and 7 required glasses.  Six of those students ordered their glasses through Manet and have received them.
• This initiative will continue in the 24-25 school year.

6. Mass Healthy Smiles Dental Program

        (See attached report)