HEALTH SERVICES
HEALTH SERVICESGOAL
Advocate for the development of an effective system in conjunction with community partners, to meet the health needs of students, staff, and families.
"Behavioral and health problems of school-age young people often hinder their ability to learn. Growing numbers of young people have health conditions that affect their school attendance and classroom performance. The extent of physical, emotional, psychological, and social problems present in some student populations is so great that the primary mission of the school – education – cannot proceed if these pathologies are not addressed," (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989).
These services are designed to ensure access or referral to primary health care services. The services also should foster appropriate use of primary health care services, prevent and control communicable disease and other health problems, provide emergency care for illness or injury, promote and provide optimum sanitary conditions for a safe school facility and school environment, and provide educational and counseling opportunities for promoting and maintaining individual, family, and community health. Qualified professionals such as physicians, nurses, dentists, health educators, and other allied health personnel provide these services.
RESOURCES
Child Health Insurance: Health Check/Medicaid for Children & NC Health Choice
Access to health insurance plays a key role in keeping students healthy,
in school and ready to learn. It makes it possible for students to access
preventive
and primary care, mental health, dental health and other community services
and resources. It is also the first step in that student having a medical
home that coordinates their care.
North Carolina offers two health insurance programs for children and youth: Health Check (Medicaid for Children) and NC Health Choice. Both offer free or low-cost comprehensive health insurance for children under the age of 19 (21 in some cases). Even a family of 4 earning $42,400 a year or more may qualify.
Dental Health Services
The NC Oral Health Section provides statewide school-based education / promotion
programs including classroom education supported with educational videos
and other audiovisual tools, printed activity materials and interactive
exhibits. Instruction covers disease prevention, oral hygiene practices,
injury prevention, appropriate diet, consumerism and professional dental
care practices.
Training in the comprehensive dental health curriculum, Framework for Dental
Health Education is available for all elementary teachers in the state. The training includes
companion videos and study guides. The curriculum correlates with the NC
Department of Public Instruction's Statewide Comprehensive Curriculum for
public schools.
Immunizations
The promotion of public health through the identification and elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases like polio, hepatitis B, measles, chickenpox, whooping cough, rubella (German measles), and mumps is the goal of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health and the NC Department of Public Instruction, NC Healthy Schools.
The following link provides comprehensive immunization information which impacts the education system. Data provided by the NC Division of Public Health, Immunization Branch. http://www.immunize.nc.gov/schools/ncruleslaws.htm
