Friday Beat
August 18, 2017, Back-to-School Edition
The newsletter that takes a Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child approach.
Announcements
Add Zika Prevention to Your Back-to-School Checklist
The start of the school year is always a busy time; however, don’t forget to be proactive about preventing the spread of the Zika virus. The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and local health departments ask school districts to increase awareness about Zika prevention to protect students, their families and the entire community. The DSHS Zika website is a resource hub dedicated to Zika, including a variety of free information and materials in English and Spanish available for download and order. Don’t give Zika a biting chance.
OxySure Portable Emergency Oxygen System Model 615—Action Alert
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that any school, health care provider, or other entity or individual in possession of anOxySure Portable Emergency Oxygen System (Model 615) immediately discontinue use of the device and remove it from service. Schools may direct questions or concerns to FDA Health Communications Specialist Lisa Theirl at (214) 253-5266.
Webinars: ImmTrac2Schools Training—August 2017
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Immunization Unit launched ImmTrac2 in April 2017. The new system replaces the previous system, ImmTrac, and provides expanded capabilities for registered ImmTrac2 users.In August, the Immunization Unit will be offering multiple options of their interactive webinar to familiarize current ImmTrac2 users with the new system. During each webinar, attendees can participate in a live question-and-answer session with the ImmTrac2 trainer. Please refer to the DSHS Immunization webpage to choosethe appropriate webinar (View Only Users or Full Access Users)and register for a session.
Awards for Excellence in Texas School Health (AFE)
This is the final reminder that 2017 AFE applications are due by August 31. There are three awards for which school or districts can apply in the AFE program.Health projects that have been implemented for at least an entire school year, and for which there are final results, may be submitted for a Discovery Award.Such projects may have received a Reaching for Excellence Award in 2015.
If a school or district has a long-standing health project, for which it has already received a Discovery Award within the past two years, then a Vanguard Award application may be submitted. Finally, districts/schools may submit the Reaching for Excellence Award application for health projects that have not yet started, or for those that have started but for which there are no final results. Please contact the DSHS School Health Program at (512) 776-7279, if you have any questions about eligibility or completion of the 2017 AFEapplications.
TSHAC Member Applications—Due: September 30, 2017
TheTexas School Health Advisory Committee (TSHAC)advises the DSHS on the support for and delivery of coordinated school health programs and school health services.The DSHS is accepting applications for membership on the TSHACfor the following categories:1) Parent 2) Parent of a Child with Special Healthcare Needs 3)School Administrator Professional4) Medical Professional.TSHAC members are appointed to serve a four-year term. Membership requires regular participation in TSHAC meetings and may entail participation in subcommittee meetings, projects, and presentations.TSHAC meetings are held at leastfivetimes a year in Austin, every other month from September through May. Applications for each membership category may be downloaded from the TSHAC webpage.
It’s time to Step Up & Be Counted!
Step Up Be Counted! is a collaborative surveillance project of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and the Texas School Nurses Organization. Step Up & Be Counted! is a national survey that will collect a uniform school nursing data set. This will allow the aggregate data to be utilized in promoting school nursing as well as in developing tools and resources for Texas school nurses.For more information, please visit the Step Up & Be Counted! website.The link to the 2016-17 NASN Survey is available on the DSHSSchool Health Program webpage.
DSHS-School Nurse Notes
TheDSHS School Health Program (SHP) released a new issue of DSHS-School Nurse Notes (DSHS-SNN). The August 2017 issue, Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP), is posted on the Texas School Nurse Practice webpage. There is a DSHS-School Nurse Notes box to click on at the top of the page. If you have any suggestions/questions, please use the Email School Nurse Consultantlink at the bottom of the webpage. You also may call Anita Wheeler at (512) 776-2909.The SHP is very excited to announce that, beginning with this issue, the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) is collaborating with the SHP and contributing content to theDSHS-SNN. The next issue will be published in October 2017, on the topic of Delegation of Nursing Care.
Requirements
Texas Immunization Requirements
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) sets immunization requirements after they are determined by the Texas Legislature. The 2017-2018 Texas Minimum State Vaccine Requirements for Students Grades K-12 is posted on the DSHS website, as is the Provisional Enrollment Flowchart. For more information, please call the DSHS Immunization Branch at 1-800-252-9152.
Spinal Screening
House Bill 1076 amends Health and Safety Code, Chapter 37, Abnormal Spinal Curvature, for implementation during the 2018-2019 school year.Spinal screening program rules will be amended to comply with the new law and posted in the Texas Register for public comment in September 2017. Schools must follow the rules currently in effect for the 2017-2018 school year, which require schools to conduct spinal screening for children in grades 6 and 9.You mayview the current spinal screening procedure ruleson the DSHS Spinal Screening webpage.
Students with Food Allergies
Section 25.002 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) requires public school districts to inquire of parents whether a student has a food allergy upon the student’s enrollment. Parents should provide this information so that the district can implement safety precautions.
Section 38.0151 of the TEC requires the Boards of Trustees of school districts and the governing bodies of open-enrollment charter schools to adopt and administer a policy for the care of students with diagnosed food allergies at risk for anaphylaxis. The guidelines for developing such policy may be downloaded from the DSHS School Health Program’s Food Allergies webpage. These guidelines include sample documents and are intended to serve as a reference fordistricts as they develop and administer policies for students with food allergies. An Emergency Care Plan for students atrisk for anaphylaxis is available on this same webpage.
Unlicensed Diabetes Care Assistant (UDCA)
As required by Texas law, every school must have one UDCA, or three if a full-time school nurse is not assigned to the campus. School principals are responsible for identifying UDCAs. The Texas Diabetes Council developed guidelines for training school employees who are not licensed healthcare professionals to assist with caring for students during the school day or at school activities. These guidelines are available for download on thisDSHSDiabeteswebpage, along with Frequently Asked Questions related to implementing House Bill (HB) 984 and other diabetes resources.
Bacterial Meningitis Notification
Section 38.0025 of the Texas Education Code requires that the Texas Education Agency prescribe procedures by which school districts annually provide students and parents with information about bacterial meningitis. Information provided should include symptoms of the disease; how it may be prevented, transmitted, and diagnosed; and effectiveness of vaccination and treatment. Each district should have a copy of such notification in its handbook. If not, you may contact the Texas Department of State Health Services at .
Resources
Hearing Screening
TheTexas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) loans audiometers to registered hearing screeners for 30-90 days if they plan to conduct free screenings. Back-to-school orders should be submitted as soon as possible, as there is limited equipment. For information about the loan procedure and necessary paperwork, see theAudiometers webpage. If you have any questions, please contact DSHS Vision and Hearing Screening at (512)-776-7420 .
Vision Screening
House Bill 3157 (Photoscreening use in schools) amends Health and Safety Code, Chapter 36, Special Senses and Communication Disorders, effective September 1, 2017.The bill does not require schools to use photoscreening technology nor require schools to purchase the equipment.Current rules will be amended to comply with the new law.Until then, schools must follow the rules currently in effect, which allow the use of photoscreening for children through five years of age or those with disabilities who do not respond well to other allowable screening methods. You may view the current vision and hearing screening rules on the DSHS Vision and Hearing Screening webpage.
One-Stop-Shop for Nurses
The Communicable Disease Chart and Notes for Schools and Child-Care Centers(revised June 2013) is available to download and order as a poster (Publication Stock #6-30).You may also download the Chart and Notes separately from the DSHS Infectious Disease Control website. For 43 conditions, the Chart includes information regarding methods of transmission, incubation period, signs and symptoms, exclusion, readmission criteria, whether it is a reportable disease, and prevention and treatment. The Notes include information about hand washing, diapering, environmental surfaces, respiratory hygiene, and antibiotic use, as well as what to do when a communicable disease is suspected.
School Health-Related Topics Webpage
When trying to locate resources within the School Health Program of the Texas Department of State Health Services, the School Health-Related Topics webpage may be a good place to begin. This is because the page is simple with an alphabetized list of topics.
Funding Opportunities
Youth Soccer Grants—Applications Due: August 30, 2017
The Target youth soccer grants program provides support for player registration fees, player and field equipment, and training and professional development for volunteer coaches.Accredited schools and other non-profit organizations that have a soccer program serving youth aged 5-18 may apply; preference will be given to applicants serving in-need communities.
DSHS Funding Alert
The Friday Beat frequently highlights funding opportunities found in the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)Funding Alert, which is published weekly.You can subscribe to the Funding Information Center’sFunding Alertand other services by calling (512) 776-7684 or by filling out theirsubscription form on the DSHS Funding Information Center (FIC) webpage. Information in theFunding Alertis not copyrighted and may be reproduced. The FIC would appreciate credit for the material used and a copy of the reprint.
Health Services
Is my school Heart-Safe?
Cook Children’s Heart Center in Fort Worth, Texas, offers multiple resources for schools and parents through Project ADAM®. Its goal is to increase the awareness of sudden cardiac death and establish emergency programs that help to provide a timely and life-saving response. The project’sSchool Readiness Assessmentis available online in the Resources section. This one-page assessment helps school administrators think through thesteps needed to be prepared in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest. Many of the questions pertain to automated external defibrillators (AEDs). If your school successfully completes a quality AED program, the schoolmay be added to the Project ADAM TexasHeart-Safe Schools List.
NASN Toolkits
The National Association of School Nurses(NASN) offers three toolkits of interest:Back-to-School Health Office - Interactive Toolkit, Naloxone in Schools Toolkit, and Better Health. Better Learning. e-Toolkit. Any user can access items in the Back-to-School Toolkit. However, to download items in the Naloxone Toolkit, users must create a NASN website user account. The communications e-Toolkit is available to NASN members only.
Social Emotional Climate
School Climate Improvement Resource Package (SCIRP)
To help schools and districts improve school climate, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environmentshas developed the SCIRP. This package includes a variety of resources to meet a range of needs among stakeholders. A Quick Guide outlines what to do and what to avoid, and six online modules allow for practicingskills.Students learn best when they are in environments in which they feel safe, supported, challenged, and accepted.
Physical Environment
Webinar: Reducing Asthma Triggers—August 24, 2017
At 1:00 p.m. CDT, the School-Based Health Alliance will host SBHCs and Asthma: Enhancing Care by Reducing Environmental Triggers. Attendees will discover best practices and tools for addressing environmental triggers as part of a comprehensive asthma care strategy for their school-based health center (SBHC).
Family Engagement
Parents for Healthy Schools
The beginning of the school year may be one of the best times to engage parents in their child’s education. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a set of resources called Parents for Healthy Schoolsto help schools and school groups (e.g., school wellness committees) engage parents to create healthy school environments. The resources relate to nutrition, physical activity/education, and managing chronic health conditions, all within the school setting.The CDC website describeseffective ways schools can use these resources with parents.
Community Involvement
Webinar: Preventing Fire and Burn-Related Injuries among Children
At 1:00-2:00 p.m. CDT on August 23, 2017, the Children’s Safety Network will host this webinar about Successful Strategies. Speakers from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) will review the fire injury problem among children and available NFPA resources that target these risks. Ernest J. Grant, burn-care expert and vice president of the American Nurses Association, will discuss prevention campaigns beneficial for parents, educators, and others interested in fire and life safety.
Quote to Note
“Live to learn, and you will really learn to live.”
—John C. Maxwell, pastor, author, and speaker
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The articles and hyperlinks to external websites appearing in Friday Beat are intended to be informational and do not represent an endorsement by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Other websites may not be accessible to people with disabilities. External email addresses may also be provided as a courtesy. If you choose to correspond, please be advised that DSHS policies may not apply. For information about any of the programs listed, contact the sponsoring organization directly. For comments or questions about Friday Beat, email the School Health Program at or call (512) 776-7279.
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