[MaineSchoolNurse] Maine DOE School Health Events & Updates October 2024

Tue Oct 15 12:44:35 EDT 2024

Maine DOE School Health Events & Updates October 2024
Highlights from the Field

Check out this great story that was shared to us by Nora Diversi, a Registered School Nurse from Gardiner Area High School. Nora shared that her district has struggled in the past to manage immunization compliance. The tracking processes varied between schools, were very time-intensive, and created a lot of frustration for all those involved. The team of school nurses came together and developed a shared plan to improve the immunization tracking process (as well as other health office processes). They identified problems, set goals, and worked together to find solutions. Some key initiatives of their new plan included developing a universal tracking/documentation system for all the schools, immunization compliance discussions with local providers, monthly educational immunization compliance messages to families, and hosting school immunization clinics. The team met regularly to reconnect, collaborate, and reevaluate the plan. The results have been amazing in more ways than one. Not only have process and immunization compliance improved but the team has connected, and job satisfaction has improved (measured by survey). Nora shares that she is proud of the nursing team and the work that they have accomplished. Great job MSAD 11 School Nurses! Reach out to your School Nurse Regional Liaison to share your success story!

Invitation

Are you familiar with the Digital Maine Library? Wanting to locate current evidence-based articles on a specific topic and need more than what a Google Scholar search offers? You have access to a plethora of online journals and articles through our Maine State Library System.  Account set-up is free.
https://digitalmainelibrary.org/

Announcements

Maine is currently experiencing significantly elevated risks of mosquito-borne illnesses.  DHHS issued a press release on September 23rd: Maine CDC Warns of Mosquito-Borne Virus Identified in Three Additional Counties<https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/news/maine-cdc-warns-mosquito-borne-virus-identified-three-additional-counties-mon-09232024-1200?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery>  and the Maine CDC sent out a Health Alert on the Ongoing High Risk for Arboviral Infections, Continue to Test Patients on September 26, 2024 - Advisory (PDF)<https://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/attach.php?id=13059243&an=1>.  Per the HAN, Arboviral activity is high in Maine and across the northeast U.S. region. Maine has detected Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), and West Nile virus (WNV) in mosquitoes, wild birds, domestic animals, and/or humans in 13 of our 16 counties. The purpose of this health advisory is to remind clinicians to test for mosquito-borne arboviruses in appropriate patients. You can sign up for Health Alert’s at mainehan.org<https://mainehan.org/>.

The MCDC hosted a “Start of the 2024-2025 Respiratory Virus Season, Including Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV”.  More information is available at https://www.maineflu.gov<https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/influenza/maineflu/>

Four FREE at home COVID-19 Tests per address are now available through U.S DHHS: Order your FREE At Home COVID-19 Tests<https://covidtests.gov/>

When is sick too sick for school? Access the Attendance Works One Pager here:
Attendance-Works-Too-Sick-for-School.pdf<https://www.attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Attendance-Works-Too-Sick-for-School-060824.pdf>

Maine DOE has released an attendance toolkit to assist school teams in efforts to improve student attendance. Access the toolkit here: Attendance Toolkit

Interested in offering a school-based influenza clinic? Finding it challenging to get students their school-required vaccines and want to know more about the ease of becoming a vaccine location site? Check out the Maine Immunization Program updated School Located Vaccine Clinics Toolkit<https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/School%20Health%20Services%20-%20ME%20CDC%20-%20School%20Located%20Vaccine%20Clinic%20Toolkit%209.23.2024.pdf> to learn more.

Maine Immunization Program Notices:
·       COVID-19 Pediatric Vaccine Access<https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/MEHHS-3b9dc9f?wgt_ref=MEHHS_WIDGET_7> 10/03/2024
·       Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Update for 2024 - 2025 Season<https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/MEHHS-3b85487?wgt_ref=MEHHS_WIDGET_7> 09/26/2024

MCH Needs Assessment Priorities Survey:
Maine’s Maternal and Child Health Program at the Maine CDC administers the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Every five years states are required to conduct a needs assessment to continue to evaluate the state’s specific priorities. The survey will ask about priorities in five MCH population domains. The goal is to collect survey responses from a wide range of individuals including program administrators, service providers, program participants, families, people with lived experience and others invested in maternal and child health services in Maine. Please share the survey links to any other individuals, programs, or groups whose input you think would be important to include.
The survey will stay open until October 21st. If you have any questions, please contact So O’Neil at so.oneil at altarum.org<mailto:so.oneil at altarum.org>.  To complete, please click on the survey link in your preferred language below.

English: https://stats.altarum.org/limesurvey/index.php/327482?lang=en
Arabic: https://stats.altarum.org/limesurvey/index.php/327482?lang=ar
French: https://stats.altarum.org/limesurvey/index.php/327482?lang=fr
Kinyarwanda: https://stats.altarum.org/limesurvey/index.php/327482?lang=rw
Portuguese: https://stats.altarum.org/limesurvey/index.php/327482?lang=pt
Spanish: https://stats.altarum.org/limesurvey/index.php/327482?lang=es
Haitian/Creole: https://stats.altarum.org/limesurvey/index.php/327482?lang=hc
Lingala: https://stats.altarum.org/limesurvey/index.php/327482?lang=la

Webinars and Upcoming Trainings

Health Equity in Emergency Preparedness and Response
Sponsored by Federal CDC Office of Health Equity
October 23, 2024, 3-4:30pm EDT
Register here.<https://cdc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_zprBdx3hT2ynn3USQFdsKg?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_964-DM138243&ACSTrackingLabel=10%2F23%20Webinar%3A%20Health%20Equity%20in%20Emergency%20Preparedness%20and%20Response&deliveryName=USCDC_964-DM138243#/registration>

Basic Life Support Recertification and STOP THE BLEED® Trainings
The School Nurse Regional Liaison team are excited to be offering American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) Recertification and STOP THE BLEED® courses throughout the 2024-25 school year. There is a $5 fee for the BLS eCard. The next session is October 24th in Hampden. Information and registration can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/calendar#calendar-6c6f22e1-033b-47cd-8ea3-0906acf8c9e4-event-m0yhxs2j  Reach out to your School Nurse Regional Liaison with any questions. We look forward to connecting with you at one of these sessions!

The Maine AAP School Health Series in Partnership with the Maine Department of Education Tuesday, November 5th (3:30P - 4:30P) Feature presentation: Understanding School Absences as a Risk Factor
Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolHealthSeries

The MCDC’s Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Monthly Webinar Series Tuesday, November 5th (3:30P-4:30P) Feature presentation: Help Me Grow Maine
Register here: https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O9c9wzVwRl64RNthIIj60w#/registration

School Health PANS & PANDAS Webinar
Tuesday, November 12 (3:15P - 4:15P) This one-hour session will provide an overview of the science of PANS PANDAS, diagnosis, disease course, treatment, the school nurses role, and how PANS PANDAS affects learning. We welcome our presenter, Gabriella True, President, ASPIRE: Alliance to Solve PANS & Immune-Related Encephalopathies. Register Here<https://www.maine.gov/doe/schoolsupports/schoolhealth/professionaldevelopment#calendar-6c6f22e1-033b-47cd-8ea3-0906acf8c9e4-event-m1f8yjv8>

Free Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness Training
When: In-Person, Portland December 9th and 10th, 8-5pm, 110 Free St.
Or
In-Person Bangor December 11th and 12th, 8-5pm, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Mason Auditorium, 489 State St.
Register here<https://teex.org/class/MGT439/>

Topics:
• Introduction to Pediatric Response
• Pediatric Emergency Management Considerations
• Considerations for Managing Pediatric Surge
• Children with Access and Functional Needs
• Pediatric Considerations in Mass Sheltering
• Pediatric Triage and Allocation of Scarce Resources
• Pediatric Reunification Considerations
• Pediatric Decontamination Considerations

New Training Available! Public Health Infrastructure: From the Inside Out
New England Public Health Training Center and NNPHI are pleased to introduce a new self-paced health equity training series to help create a stronger, more resilient public health workforce. The series includes three modules:
Module 1: Strong Minds for a Resilient Public Health Workforce (1.5 hours)
Module 2: Inclusive Infrastructure: Creating More Equitable Organizational Culture (1.5 hours)
Module 3: Equitable Partnerships: Building Trust and Shifting Resources (1.5 hours)
Register here: https://www.nephtc.org/enrol/index.php?id=398

Navigating Social Media with Tweens and Teens ECHO
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recruiting parents and caregivers who have tweens or teens to join the Navigating Social Media with Tweens and Teens ECHO. This no-cost virtual learning collaborative will address tough topics like how to help tweens & teens manage their devices, what is happening developmentally and how this influences social media habits, when digital media becomes and problem, and what parents and caregivers need to know. This 4-session program meets weekly on Tuesdays at 2 pm Central/ 3 pm Eastern on October 29, November 5, November 12, and November 19. Register here<https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/0d7acd6198904acba39266cd1e0facbd> or click here<https://downloads.aap.org/ECHO/AAPSMP&CECHO.pdf> for more information. Questions? Contact Kristin at kconrad at aap.org<mailto:kconrad at aap.org>.

School Based Health Care Suicide Prevention Clinical ECHO
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) are recruiting for the School Based Health Care Suicide Prevention Clinical ECHO. The AAP has partnered with the AFSP to develop a 6-month ECHO program for school-based health care professionals that focuses on clinical strategies described in the Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention. This program meets virtually on the second Wednesday of the month through February 2025. Sessions will be held at 2pm ET / 1pm CT / 12pm MT / 11am PT and will last 1 hour. Please complete the registration<https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/55ee4d33a8994a319572b4219130dc21> to participate or contact Jessie Leffelman, ECHO Manager, at jleffelman at aap.org<mailto:jleffelman at aap.org> with any questions.
This ECHO series is supported and funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. If you have any questions about this opportunity or any others in this series, please contact education at afsp.org<mailto:education at afsp.org>.

Have families that need additional support? The Community Care Referral Form<https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/equity/community-care-referrals.shtml> helps connect people throughout Maine with community organizations to meet social service needs, including cultural and linguistic-specific needs.

School Health Services Webpage<https://www.maine.gov/doe/index.php/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines>

We strive to fill the School Health Services Webpage<https://www.maine.gov/doe/index.php/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines> with all you need for your school nursing practice. If you find it is difficult to navigate, is missing information, has bad links, or have suggestions, reach out to Lori Huot @ lori.huot at maine.gov<mailto:lori.huot at maine.gov>. If you are unable to locate needed resources or guidance, reach out to your School Nurse Liaison.

_____________________________________

Sarah DeCato, MSN, RN, NCSN (She/Her)
School Nurse Specialist-Coordinated School Health
Office of School and Student Supports
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0023
Email: sarah.decato at maine.gov<mailto:sarah.decato at maine.gov>
Phone: 207-441-3812
Maine DOE<http://www.maine.gov/doe> | Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/mdoenews> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en> | Maine DOE Newsroom<https://mainedoenews.net/> |Maine Guidelines for School<https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines> <https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines> Health<https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines>

[cid:a0dec3aa-1287-48e2-9a2b-1fff522bc90f]      [cid:b23559ee-e879-4605-8e23-550e8c33a49f]

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