Health Services
What happens if my child has special medical conditions or gets sick or injured at school?
Health service staff All elementary schools have a health service paraprofessional on duty throughout the day to attend to sudden illness and emergencies. A registered nurse consultant is also available to students and families when special health problems exist.
School health rooms All schools have health rooms equipped with cots and basic first aid supplies. Minor scrapes and bruises are attended to and parents we contacted if the child needs to go home or requires medical attention. If immediate medical attention is required, the emergency medical transportation team will be called and the child taken to the nearest hospital.
School guidelines for student medication School health staff may give prescription medication to a student with written permission from the medical provider and parent / guardian. Please follow these procedures.
1. The parent / guardian shall bring all prescription medicines to the school Health Service.
2. If this is not possible, the following procedure must be followed: a. The parent / guardian must count the number of pills in the prescription labeled bottle. b. The parent / guardian must seal the medicine bottle with tape and write the number of pills on the tape, or, after counting the pills, the parent / guardian must place the prescription labeled bottle of medicine in an envelope, seal it, and write the number of pills on the envelope.
13 c. If the medication is in liquid form, the parent / guardian must draw a line indicating the level of liquid medicine in the bottle. d. The parent / guardian will send the medicine to school with the student, instructing him / her to take the medicine to the school Health Service office upon entering school. e. The nurse / health paraprofessional will count the medicine upon its arrival in the School Health Service office; if there is a question, the parent / guardian will be contacted.
3. Anoka-Hennepin school Health Service personnel are not available to give medications after-school hours during activities. Therefore, medications, including inhalers, are not accessible to students or staff after-school hours. If students participating in after-school activities anticipate the need to use inhaler medicine before, during, or after the activity, they may take their inhalers from the school Health Service at the end of school and return them the following day.
4. All discontinued medication must be picked up by the parent / guardian from the school Health Service or it will be disposed of appropriately.
Field trip medication procedures Schools also follow strict procedures for administering medication to students while they are on field trips. School Health Service personnel and teachers work together to ensure that students receive regular daily as well as emergency medication if needed while on field trips. For more information on this, please call your school Health Service office.
What health services does the school provide? Health problems that may interfere with a student’ s safe and successful school career are identified and evaluated through routine screenings, and careful observation. If indicated, professional treatment may be recommended. School programs or environment may be modified or adapted to the student’ s individual needs. Parents are encouraged to contact school Health Services with their concerns.
Dental health The overall health program in the elementary grades emphasizes dental hygiene.
Vision screening Children are screened in elementary school and once in middle school for potential vision problems. Parents are contacted if an eye examination appears warranted.