DPH Weekly Updates 11/5/15

DPH Weekly Updates 11/5/15

Dear Colleagues,

It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Northeastern University School Health Institute Clinical Update Conference this week in Marlborough! Over 400 of you were present to hear of issues related to school environments including preparing for emergency response, threat assessments, management of life-threatening allergies and creating social emotional learning environments – topics where we need school nurses to take the lead in their school buildings and districts! Our thanks to Jenny Gormley and Kathy Hassey, Co-Directors for the Institute for their organization of such a wonderful program!

We are excited to announce that funds to expand our SBIRT in Schools Project have been included in the state supplemental budget! Please stay tuned as we roll out this program in a new, enhanced manner! More to come very soon!

A few other updates for this week are below! Thanks again for all you do! You are ALL leaders!

Mary Ann, Carol and Janet

School Nurses in the News! From Wilmington Public Schools: Here's an article from a community forum on substance abuse that was held in Wilmington:

From the DPH Immunization Program: Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS):The MDPH Immunization Program is committed to promoting the health of Massachusetts' citizens by reducing the burden of vaccine preventable diseases that affect the residents of the Commonwealth. As part of this effort, in 2011 the MDPH Immunization Program launched the Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS), a web-based immunization registry. The MIIS is in the process of being rolled out statewide and once fully implemented will be the official source of immunization information for Massachusetts.

The MIIS is ready for school nurses to have READ-ONLY access!! Due to the differences at each site, there is variation in the process for getting online. School nurses should contact the MIIS directly, and they will be happy to assist with getting access to the MIIS – by email at: or by phone at: 617-983-4335.

From Professional/ Parent Advocacy League (PPAL):

Parents Continue to RaiseSchool-Related Issues:

Since September PPAL’s Family Supporthas seen asignificant increase since Septemberin callsfrom parents who arestruggling to navigatethe special education process. PPALoften finds that when a parent verbally brings a concern to school faculty, they are not being informed of theprocessfor requesting anevaluation of eligibility for their child to receive support servicesor for documenting their concerns with the school. If the parent concerns are not documented in writing, thentheir concernsoften go no further thanfaculty, who have little to no power to assist them. Consequently, our first task with new parents is to document their concerns and request testing for their child or youth.

As school and IEP challenges are of great concern for families, PPAL and other agencies often provide parent IEP trainings at no cost. Please check out PPAL’s website at or their statewide calendar of parent trainings for more information:

From the Centers for Disease Control: Each year thousands of people including kids put themselves at risk for coming in contact with numerous chemical and physical hazards by trespassing on old or abandoned facilities/sties. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has developed a “No Trespassing” PSA and website is aimed at kids and their parents with the message that these types of sites are not safe places to play. The ads will run in schools on Channel One and as ads on YouTube starting next week. Worth sharing with your students! Here’s the link to the No Trespassing Site.

From the MA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MCAAP):

MCAAP Immunization InitiativeWebinar Series
Upcoming Webinars(scroll down for registration information)
Vaccine Storage and Handling and
VFC Compliance Training
Thursday, November 19, 2015, 12:00-1:00 pm
Robert Morrison, Vaccine Manager,
MDPH Immunization Program click here for learner objectives
Autism "101"
Thursday, December 3, 2015, 12:00-1:00 pm
Alison Singer, Co-Founder and President
Autism Science Foundation click here for learner objectives
The goalof the Immunization InitiativeWebinar Seriesis to improve child and adolescent immunization rates inMassachusetts.
Target Audience:
The target audience includes healthcare professionals who provider immunizations to children and adolescents in Massachusetts, including Chapter pediatricians and family practice physicians, nurse practitioners, nurse, physician assistants, medical assistants, public health workers, community health center staff, and office staff who work in pediatric health care settings.
How to register:
(Please note that the Baystate CE portal has been updated and you may need to re-create your CEID.)

1. Click hereto go directly to the CE Calendar; (or use this URL:
2. Go tocurrent month or advance to webinar month;
3. Go towebinar dateand click on webinar;
4. Scroll down and click on "Add to Cart;
5. You will return to the Calendar;
6. Scroll up and click on "Shopping Cart;"
7. Click on "Checkout";
8. Enter your CE Portal ID* and click on "Enter;" (*You may get an error message that notes that "an incomplete registration was detected"/"CE Portal ID cannot be found". If you get this message, you will need to create your CEID again.);
9. Click on "Shopping Cart;"
10. Click on "Checkout;"
11. Youwill see a message that says "Thank You;"
12. You will receive an email confirming your registration.

Webinar login instructions will be sent to you before the webinar by separate email.
If you have any difficulty registering, or if you have any questions, please contact Cynthia McReynolds (; 781.895.9850).

From the American Public Health Association:

If you are unable to view the message below, Click Here to view this message on our website

The American Public Health Association and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are proud to co-sponsor a five-part webinar series highlighting the vital work of the ATSDR. The series explores the Agency's role as an integral partner in: determining chemical threats; supporting communities with their environmental health concerns; protecting children and vulnerable populations; and supporting the specific needs of Native Tribes.
Part IV – Advancing Environmental Medicine Practice Tuesday, November 17, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. EST Welcome back to the series! In our fourth webinar, Advancing Environmental Medicine Practice, participants will learn how ATSDR is integrating environmental health with medicine as well as the Agency’s programs and activities on children’s environmental health and reproductive health. This is a webinar not to miss! Register today! Recordings of the first three webinars are available online:
•Introducing ATSDR
•Supporting Communities with Tools and Resources
•Informing Decision-Making though Health Assessment
This webinar will be recorded and made available after the live event. This webinar was funded through cooperative agreement U38OT000131 between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Public Health Association. The contents of this webinar are solely the responsibility of the presenters and do not necessarily represent the official views of the American Public Health Association or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For Your Information:

Mary Ann Gapinski, MSN, RN, NCSN

Director of School Health Services

MA Department of Public Health

250 Washington Street – 5th Floor

Boston, MA 02108

617-624-5427

Website: