Some of the more common health services include but are not limited to:

• Provide direct care and professional nursing service such as medications and treatments to students and staff

• Assess the overall system of care and develops a plan for ensuring that student health needs are met. Develops and maintains individual emergency plans

• Provides screenings and referral for health conditions

• Provides physical and emotional safety of the school community by monitoring immunizations, ensuring appropriate exclusion for `infectious diseases and reporting communicable diseases by law

• Provides environmental safety monitoring

• Provides health education by providing health information to students, staff and the parent community

• Provide health promotion and protection, chronic disease management, school wellness policy support, crisis management intervention, emergency medical condition management, mental health protection and intervention, acute illness management, and infectious disease prevention and management

• Serves as a liaison between school personnel, family, healthcare professionals and the community

• Participates as a health consult for all special needs teams to include: Pupil Personnel Services, Individual Educational Planning, and 504 plans.

-Jocelyn Elders, MD-former Surgeon General

Health Requirements

All students enrolled in district 205 must have Health Examination performed within one year prior to the date of entering 9^th grade. The examination must be on an approved State of Illinois Certificate of Health Examination form and signed by a physician. The examination must also include a Diabetes Risk Assessment, Body Mass Index (BMI), and a Health History completed by the parent or guardian. Every student must meet minimum immunization requirements administered at the required intervals and to include the following:

The law requires proof of adequate immunization signed by a physician, serologic proof of immunity or a valid medical or religious exemption. If the above requirements are not met prior to entrance of your student your student can be excluded from school by the principal.

Dental and Vision Examinations are recommended but not required for high school entrance at this time.

Medication Administration in School

School District 205, in accordance with The State of Illinois Recommended Guidelines For Medication Administration In Schools, recognizes that, in some circumstances, medication for individual students must be available during school hours.  The taking of medication at school is discouraged unless it is necessary for the child to attend school.  Parents must make every effort to give daily or regular doses of medication at home.  A student may carry his/her inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector, if properly instructed on its use and a medication authorization form is on file in The Nurses' Office.

Guidelines for administration of prescription and over -the-counter medications:

• The school nurse must have a written request from the child’s physician that indicates the name, frequency, dosage, route, and side effects of the medication.  In addition, the condition being treated and the length of time the medication is to be administered are to be specified by the physician.

• The nurse must have a written request from the parent to administer the medication as specified by the physician. A verbal or telephone request is not adequate.

• Both types of medication must be either in the container prepared by the pharmacist or the over-the-counter medication bottle.  Both containers must include the name and strength of the medication, (the pharmacy label does not constitute a written order and cannot be used in lieu of a written order from a licensed health care provider.  When having prescriptions filled, parents should request two containers for home and school.

• Medication orders must be renewed annually and where there is a change

• Medication will be kept in a locked, secure cabinet in the Nurses’ Office. Other than prescribed inhalers or epinephrine auto-injectors, students are not allowed to bring medication to school. If a student is found with medication, it will be confiscated by security. Parents will be given until the end of each semester to pick up medication or it will be disposed of.
  

Vision and Hearing screenings are provided annually to District 205 students at the state mandated grade levels.  Students routinely screened also include: Special Education, students transferring into the district that have not been previously screened, and teacher requests.

Emergency Services

Thornton Township District 205 maintains health offices in each of its schools, staffed with fully qualified, professionally licensed registered nurses.  Students remaining for after-school activities such as sports are under the supervision of an adult. Professional registered nurses are not on duty after school hours but all members of the coaching staff are trained in first aid in accordance with state guidelines.

When an emergency arises, either during or after school hours, every effort is made to notify parents of the emergency contacts provided. In extreme emergencies and when parents or their designee are not able to be contacted, the student’s health safety may necessitate transportation by ambulance to a hospital.

Local

Aunt Martha’s Clinics

Cook County Department of Public Health Services

State

All Kids Program -State Of Illinois

Illinois Department of  Human Services

Illinois Department of Public Health

Other

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention