[MaineSchoolNurse] School Health Matters: Maine School Nurse Bulletin- February 2025

[DeCato, Sarah]

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School Health Matters: Maine School Nurse Bulletin
February 2025
Maine Department of Education
Highlights from the Field

Community Champion: Portland School Nurses Reduce Barriers for Students Who Need Eyeglasses<https://www.wmtw.com/article/community-champion-portland-school-nurses-reduce-barriers-for-students-who-need-eyeglasses/63372082> (Source: wmtw.com) Congratulations to Tina Veilleux and the Portland Public School nurses who are working to improve healthy eyes for their students!

Name the Newsletter Competition:
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Name the Newsletter Competition!  Over the past few weeks, 30+ suggestions were submitted and 170+ votes were tallied. Without further ado, we’re excited to announce the new newsletter name:
School Health Matters: Maine School Nurse Bulletin
The winning entry, “School Health Matters” was submitted by Brenda Bladen who will receive a copy of The Heart of a Nurse Leader by Joe Tye and Bob Dent.  Congratulations, Brenda!
In honor of the 2nd and 3rd place entries: “Vital Signs: Maine School Nurse Bulletin” and “Beacon of Health: Maine School Nurse Bulletin”, we’ve included the tagline “Maine School Nurse Bulletin.   Thank you to JoAnne Desjardins-O'Leary for these suggestions! With so many great options to choose from, the voting was extremely close.
Congratulations to all who participated!

Kudos to Amy Creighton, Brenda Bladen, Ilmi Carter, Janet Rivard, Lorrie Springer, Michelle Lenfest, and Rosemary Wiser! These Maine school nurses recently earned a virtual badge from Northeastern University for School Nurse Leadership for advancing their skills to lead school health services in PreK-12 schools. Over the course of the calendar year, they are implementing a project in their own work settings with learning on advocacy, budget and finance, conflict management, diversity/health equity, grant writing, leadership styles, legal and policy issues, networking, and technology.

Invitation

Maine Needs was founded on the belief that the things you donate should reach the people that need them most, at no cost. Since 2020, they’ve distributed more than 906,000 essential items and filled more than 34,000 requests. Check out this community resource!
https://www.maineneeds.org/

American Heart Association Basic Life Support Renewal Courses:
School Nurse Regional Liaisons will be offering American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) recertification in each region this semester. This course is targeted toward school nurses who need to renew their current BLS certification and features comprehensive BLS renewal training on how to respond to an assortment of common medical emergencies as a solo or team rescuer.  Attendees are recommended to have a current 2020 AHA BLS textbook<https://shopcpr.heart.org/bls-provider-manual> (which can be purchased online). There is a $5 fee for the BLS eCard. There will also be an optional hands-on skills session for those interested in certifying for STOP THE BLEED® We are happy to offer this bonus training to school nurses at no cost.

Dates and locations
Northeast Region:
Old Town High School: Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 2pm-6pm
Northeast BLS Registration<https://www.maine.gov/doe/calendar#calendar-6c6f22e1-033b-47cd-8ea3-0906acf8c9e4-event-m60vandw>
Western Region:
Buckfield Junior/Senior High School: March 20, 2025, 12pm-4pm
Western BLS Registration<https://www.maine.gov/doe/calendar#calendar-6c6f22e1-033b-47cd-8ea3-0906acf8c9e4-event-m6urq1d2>
Central Region: TBD – Message Angie.Buker at maine.gov<mailto:Angie.Buker at maine.gov> if you’re in need of renewal.
Southern Region: TBD – Message Lori.Huot at maine.gov<mailto:Lori.Huot at maine.gov> if you’re in need of renewal.

Exciting News! We are developing a “Lending Library” of training equipment for school nurses who are interested in teaching CPR and STOP THE BLEED® in their school communities. Stay tuned for additional information coming soon!

Annual School Oral Health Program Poster Contest<https://www.mcd.org/news/sohp-2025-oral-health-poster-contest>

Announcements

US CDC may be experiencing webpage updates which may affect your ability to access some of the information you typically rely on. Keep this in mind when you are using our online Maine DOE School Health Guidelines<https://www.maine.gov/doe/index.php/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines> if something is not available or webpages are down.

JAMA (January 23rd, 2025)
The Role of School Nurses in the Health and Education of Children<https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2829714?utm_source=silverchair&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=article_alert-jamanetworkopen&utm_content=wklyforyou&utm_term=012425&adv=000000019810#google_vignette>
“We provide justification for investing in school nurses, identify challenges in supporting school health programs, and provide recommendations for investing in school nursing as a key strategy for improving children’s health, equity, and well-being.”

Maine CDC Announcement: New Tuberculosis Reporting System - Advisory (PDF)<https://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/attach.php?id=13146585&an=1>.
Maine CDC is modernizing their Tuberculosis (TB) reporting system. Currently, inactive TB (also known as Latent TB Infection or LTBI) cases and suspect and confirmed active TB cases are reported through a combination of faxed referral forms and phone calls. The new system is an online form that can be used to report inactive TB cases and suspect and confirmed active TB cases.  The new form can be accessed at https://redcap.link/Maine-TB-report and the link is available on the Maine CDC’s TB website at http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/tb. This new reporting system is live and as of April 1, 2025, the MCDC will require use of this system.

Maine DOE Addresses Chronic Absenteeism Through New Toolkit & Webinar Opportunities<https://mainedoenews.net/2025/01/21/maine-doe-tackles-chronic-absenteeism-through-state-collaboration-launches-attendance-toolkit-for-maine-schools/>

neffyinSchools Program:<https://www.neffy.com/community-programs/%22%20/l%20%22:~:text=All%20public%20and%20private%20K,will%20officially%20launch%20January%202025.> All public and private K-12 schools in the U.S. will be eligible to receive two cartons (four single doses) of neffy for free to use in emergency situations. This program will officially launch soon! Click on the link to learn more about this program.  Because the definition used in Maine statute<https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/20-a/title20-Asec6305.html#:~:text=%22Epinephrine%20autoinjector%22%20means%20a%20single,Drug%20Administration%20for%20public%20use.> for epinephrine autoinjector says or "another single-use epinephrine delivery system approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for public use", Maine schools can participate so long as their standing order is written to include the neffy product.

Are you familiar with the Maine CDC School Health Manual<https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/shm/index.shtml>? This resource contains a number of fact sheets available for various diseases. Most recent fact sheet updates include Hep A and Hep B.   The Communicable Disease Quick Guide<https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/shm/Communicable-Diseases-Quick-Guide.pdf> is also located on this site.

NBCSN 2025 Scholarship Program<https://nbcsn.org/certification/nbcsn-2025-scholarship-program>. The Scholarship Program is intended to financially support school nurses, who come from historically marginalized backgrounds or who serve historically marginalized school populations, to succeed in becoming Nationally Certified School Nurses (NCSN®). Maine NCBSN Liaison is Lynne Signore (lsignore at sanford.org<mailto:lsignore at sanford.org>)

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

Epilepsy Foundation Newsletter<https://mailchi.mp/epilepsynewengland/january-epilepsy-school-nurse-newsletter?e=02aa7e0b32>

Communicating About Public Health Toolkit<https://debeaumont.org/resources/communicating-about-public-health-toolkit/>
This toolkit is designed for public health professionals and includes excellent strategies for effective communication. These strategies can assist school nurses in their interactions with administrators, colleagues, and parents. Check it out!

School toolkit: explaining living with a rare disease to children and teenagers<https://www.rarediseaseday.org/downloads/school-toolkit-explaining-living-with-a-rare-disease-to-children-and-teenagers/>
Rare Disease Day is observed every year on 28 February (or 29 in leap years)—the rarest day of the year. Do you know a young child or a family who is dealing with acceptance and making friends at school? Are you a pre-school or kindergarten teacher, and a student in your class has a rare disease?
Within the Rare Disease Day global platform and together with their national alliance rare disease patient organization partners, they have put together elements (translated in over 20 languages) which might help you start the conversation with teachers or with young children.

Webinars and Upcoming Trainings

ME SUD Learning Community Adolescent and Young Adult ECHO: Adolescent Specific Care and Addressing SUD Prevention and Treatment<https://iecho.org/public/program/PRGM17208157062218ZKA3MDJQ5>,
Wednesday, February 12; 12pm– 1pm Eastern
Held the second Wednesday of the month through May 2025. Free CME available.

The First 1,000 Days: Family, Kin and Foster Caregivers on the Paths to Recovery<https://learn.brazeltontouchpoints.org/catalog/national-substance-use-disorder-summit-2025/>
Wednesday, February 12, 2025; 11-5:30pm Eastern
The 4th Annual National Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Virtual Summit

The Effect of Stigmatizing Language on School Health<https://promedsoftware.com/february-webinar>
Thursday, February 20th; 2:00-2:30pm Eastern
This webinar will highlight the consequences of stigmatization, share research insights, and offer practical tools for creating a more positive and empowering school culture. Learn how to shift from harmful labels to supportive language that encourages all students to thrive.

Evidence-based Hearing Screening Practices for Children Ages 0–5<https://usu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_exKxz2avck6KnK6>
February 25th, 2025; 2-3:30PM Eastern

Highlighting the Value of Partnering with Families to Positively Impact Systems Change<https://www.mpf.org/event/elevating-family-voice-summit/>.
Wednesday, March 26, 2025; 9:00am- 2:30pm Augusta Civic Center
The summit is a partnership with Maine CDC, Maine Parent Federation and Maine State Parent Ambassadors.

Maine’s Alcohol Misuse Prevention Conference-<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fadcareme.org%2Ftrainings%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010194b30cc973-bf653c47-c792-42be-a84b-88f1cab5d15b-000000/3NSzX1GnUa_I82QmWPPWr8PE-s5TtM_0CvO54wiVOV4=390> Save the date!
Thursday, April 17th (Virtual) Additional registration details coming soon.

Tobacco treatment training and education opportunities are available through the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence (CTI). CTI provides education and training on evidence-based tobacco treatment to healthcare, behavioral health, and public health professionals in Maine on behalf of the MCDC. See available training formats and Spring 2025 dates.  Final-2425-TE-Training-Season-Brochure.pdf<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FMEHHS%2F2025%2F01%2F30%2Ffile_attachments%2F3148615%2FFinal-2425-TE-Training-Season-Brochure.pdf/1/01010194b8d10387-396976a7-18c9-4795-a787-6ddfdb711cd2-000000/AO_rxmt1w1SJ3CmEQfBuIomJ-5htZL_ep5pL5B4KL2w=390>, CTIMaine.org/Education.<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fctimaine.org%2Feducation-training%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010194b8d10387-396976a7-18c9-4795-a787-6ddfdb711cd2-000000/a3EEw8lOIzKzJXDHg236jXssM8muTMTDcoLfFY6ISKI=390>, and Upcoming Webinar Opportunities<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fctimaine.org%2Feducation-training%2Fwebinars%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010194b8d10387-396976a7-18c9-4795-a787-6ddfdb711cd2-000000/GkK_YlZ2EpeOcta1PH0Y0K7SOsaou3s4xzKb2kgzCSE=390>.

Save the date! The 2025 Tobacco Treatment and Prevention Conference<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fctimaine.org%2Feducation-training%2Fannual-tobacco-treatment-and-prevention-conference%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010194b30cc973-bf653c47-c792-42be-a84b-88f1cab5d15b-000000/FAbuKhhjRnWKsoCi5ZUjzjFVFC9wFKw0u6z1pcnooyM=390> will be at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
Wednesday & Thursday, June 11-12th; details forthcoming

Missed the AAP/DOE Webinar Series? No worries, you can view the recordings!

  *
Maine Schools & Vaccines: What School Nurses & Providers Need to Know<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duf0lJ1mrdc>
  *
School Health Series_School Absence as a Risk Factor/Chronic Absenteeism<https://youtu.be/9myaZLdYciY?si=LBPwtkXT3CzDpTbx>
  *
School Health Series_Provision of Services to Students with Disabilities<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEr4Yi6jbb8>
  *
Keep Calm and Coregulate: A Trauma-Informed Response to Behaviors<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6aMOgJvRlg>



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 broken 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 Regional 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>


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