Nelson County Rural Health Outreach
| Topics |
Children
Dental health
Health insurance and uninsured
Mental health
Nurses
Substance abuse
Youth
|
| States served |
Virginia
|
| Description |
The Nelson County Rural Health Outreach Program launched a school nursing program that placed registered nurses in each of the six Nelson County public schools. It also created a supplementary health education program provided by a registered nurse who traveled to each site. |
| Services offered |
The project consortium consisted of six organizations. Blue Ridge Medical Center provided project oversight and medical supervision of school-based clinical staff. The Rural Health Outreach Program provided nursing services, limited primary care services for students, and health education services. Nelson County Public School provided clinical space, office equipment, and direction by the School Health Advisory Board and the School Board. The Nelson County Health Department provided special immunization clinics at school sites, dental services, and offsite reproductive health care. Region Ten Community Services Board provided individual and group substance abuse and mental health services. The County of Nelson provided funding for school nursing outside of the regular school budget. The services provided to students in Nelson County Public Schools included nursing assessments, screenings, immunizations, referrals, physical exams, consultations with parents, health education, medical administration, counseling, dental screenings,preventive care, treatment, and service plans for students with special needs. The project also provided health education in local private schools. Staff at the Nelson County Public Schools also received occasional nursing services, education on how to care for students with special needs, and assistance in emergency services planning and school safety assessments. |
| Results |
During the 3-year grant cycle, the project recorded 36,428 nursing encounters with ill students. The project also provided 3,273 health screenings, 2,723 immunization compliance checks, and 947 primary care visits with a nurse practitioner. Some 84 students received mental health and substance abuse services, and the project held 114 group sessions focusing on mental health and substance abuse issues. Nearly 150 students were given daily medications at school, while nearly 100 students were given shortterm medications at school. The project provided health education to 2,723 students through 192 classroom presentations, 36 lunchroom presentations, 4 assemblies, and 3 special small group programs. Three health fairs were held during the grant period, which reached 1,200 individuals, including 564 students who received sports physicals. The program also created a fluoride rinsing program in two elementary schools. While most of those served by the program were children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years, the project also served a small number of adult school staff. Project staff made a concerted effort to provide information on local health resources to families with incomes at or below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. Specifically, the project hoped to increase awareness of Virginia's children's health insurance program and the Wellness Passport, a health benefits program offered by RHOP. During the last 3 years, enrollment in the commonwealth's health insurance program has tripled. |
| Replication |
Students in any rural community can benefit from school-based health services - whether they are offered in individual or group settings. It is critical, however, that programs establish policies and procedures for managing medical records and safeguarding confidentiality while ensuring the safety of faculty, administrators, and other students. These policies should be developed at program inception and refined as necessary. It also is critical to work in partnership with area health care providers to coordinate student health care and to discuss how best to serve chronically ill or special needs children. Another important step is to establish a data management system that safeguards confidentiality and captures the information necessary to track outcomes. Program planners must be flexible enough to make adjustments as necessary and to request technical assistance when they need it. |
| Source |
Outreach Sourcebook, Vol. 8, 1998-2001, Office of Rural Health Policy
|
| Contact person |
Peggy Whitehead, Program Manager
Rural Health Outreach Program
4038 Thomas Nelson Highway
Arrington, VA 22922
434.263.4858
434.263.4160 (fax)
rhoppw@ceva.net |
| Date added |
July 14, 2005 |
| Date reviewed |
February 25, 2010 |
Summaries of success stories are provided by RAC for your convenience. Please contact the success story contact person directly for the most complete and current information.
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