Weekly Email Updates 4/9/15

Weekly Email Updates 4/9/15

Dear Colleagues,

Unlike most establishments, when the year is ending, things seem to begin to “wind down”…how different that is for schools! We know that these new two months of the remaining school year are always some of the busiest times for both students and staff. This includes attendance at many conferences and workshops for school personnel (including the upcoming MSNO Spring Conference to be held this Saturday, April 11th). Hope you find the time to remember to care for yourself as well and enjoy the Spring that is sure to be coming soon (or so we are promised!).

The May 15th conference at the DCU Center in Worcester for school teams to address the opioid epidemic in their schools and communities is filling up fast! The Lieutenant Governor, Karyn Polito, will be providing opening remarks – as you are aware, addressing this issue is a major issue for the Baker Administration and we look forward to hearing from the Lieutenant Governor and other state agency representatives on this issue. In addition, a reminder that a school nurse leader from each district is welcome to attend our final ESHS Statewide Nurse Leader meeting on “Promising Practices” on May 19th at the Holiday Inn in Marlborough. Contact your Regional Consultant for more information. Registration for both of these events is on the Northeastern School Health Institute website at

Thank you to the school nurses from Gardner and the Cape Cod Innovative Care Coordination Team for sharing their work with us this week. See that attached documents. If you’re unable to receive these emails due to the variety of attachments, please let your regional consultant know so that she can send to an alternative email address where you might be able to receive them and distribute to all other school nurses on your distribution list on a timely basis.

Thank you for all you do,

Mary Ann

A reminder: ABSTRACT FOR POSTER PRESENTATIONS at the Statewide ESHS meeting: SHARING INNOVATIVE, PROMISING PRACTICES on Tuesday, May 19, 2015, are due to Janet Burke () by April 17th! Contact your Regional Consultant for more information!

From the MDPH Immunization Program:

The grade 7 immunization and total exemption data, by school, from our 2013-14 school survey have been posted to the Immunization Program’s website. They can be found here: www.mass.gov/dph/imm click on “School Requirements” and look under the heading “School Immunization Data.” Statewide and countywide kindergarten and grade 7 immunization data has also been posted.

From the MDPH Adolescent Health Program:

The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) Coordinator position at MDPH has been publicly posted: Please share with anyone you think may be interested.

From Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Education Program (ARSHEP):

The fifth edition of the Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Education Program (ARSHEP) curriculum. ARSHEP is our nationwide educational initiative aimed at teaching physicians more about adolescent reproductive and sexual health. The latest curriculum consists of 20 modules—including three all-new topics—that offer comprehensive, evidence-based information about adolescent reproductive and sexual health care.

Visit prh.org/arshep today, where individual ARSHEP modules are available for free download. The modules focus on the most important subjects related to adolescent sexual and reproductive health, including long-acting reversible contraception; STI testing and treatment; caring for pregnant and parenting adolescents; pregnancy options counseling; caring for LGBTQ adolescents; emergency contraception; and physicians as advocates for adolescent reproductive health. The entire curriculum is also available for free on a flash drive, which includes PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and standardized patient videos. These videos are designed to facilitate discussion about how health professionals can best interact with adolescent patients when providing reproductive and sexual health care. Email today for a free copy of this state-of-the-art, cutting-edge resource. With access to ARSHEP’s innovative training, health care providers can help young people make the best possible decisions about their reproductive health. I encourage you to visit prh.org/arsheptoday and explore these resources for yourself!

From the Association of Public Health Nurses (APHN):

The Association of Public Health Nurses (APHN) formerly ASTDN Annual meeting and Conference is to be held in Manchester, NH from May 3 - May 6, 2015.

This will be a spectacular conference this year with many nationally recognized nursing leaders who will be speaking that include: Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN, President and CEO of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Kaye is a Past President of ASTDN; Mary Beth Bigley, D.Ph., MSN APRN, Director of Nursing and Public Health at HRSA; Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Advisor for Nursing at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

In addition, our former MDPH Commissioner, Cheryl Bartlett, RN will be speaking as well as Donna White, PhD, RN, CS, CADAC who is our Leadership Dinner speaker! There are many wonderful breakout session speakers including MA local PHNs, Kitty Mahoney, Amanda Stone and Leila Mercer who will be share the work of MAPHN for Operation Stand Down.

Please see the agenda for many other terrific speakers and topics from our PHN colleagues from across the country on the website at:

From the American School Health Association (ASHA):

Many interesting articles for school health personnel available on ASHA’s website at:

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: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/school-health.html

Blog: http://blog.mass.gov/publichealth/