To better serve you, please let us know what types of professional development workshop/sessions you would like to see next year! | | Prioritizing Well-Being Four-Part Webinar Series | | 763 Districts take part in TCHATT, Is your district one? | | |
Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) provides telemedicine or telehealth programs to school districts to help identify and assess the behavioral health needs of children and adolescents and provide access to mental health services. TCHATT is available to any school district in Texas that wants it.
If you’re a school district interested in joining TCHATT, please contact tcmhcc@utsystem.edu.
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Need Assistance?
To better serve districts, a new request form is available. Submit your request online for topics including:
- Training
- Documentation
- Health Screenings & More!
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Updates to The Texas Education Code (TEC) §38.032(a)(1): Section 3 of Senate Bill (SB) 1506, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, states that the change in law only applies to a seizure management and treatment plan submitted to a school district on or after January 1, 2024.
Seizure plans submitted prior to January 1, 2024, can be on any form; however, beginning on or after January 1, 2024, information submitted must be on the form posted on the Healthy and Safe School Environment of the Coordinated School Health Model webpage.
| | | The new form is NOT optional, and parents will have to submit the new form for any new diagnosis or when the school year begins again. | | | Stay Alert for Measles Cases | | |
Between December 1, 2023 and January 23, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was notified of 23 confirmed U.S. cases of measles, including seven direct importations of measles by international travelers and two outbreaks with more than five cases each. Most of these cases were among children and adolescents who had not received a measles-containing vaccine (MMR or MMRV), even if age eligible.
Due to the recent cases, healthcare providers should be on alert for patients who have: (1) febrile rash illness and symptoms consistent with measles (e.g., cough, coryza, or conjunctivitis), and (2) have recently traveled abroad, especially to countries with ongoing measles outbreaks. Infected people are contagious from 4 days before the rash starts through 4 days afterwards.
Measles cases often originate from unvaccinated or undervaccinated U.S. residents who travel internationally and then transmit the disease to people who are not vaccinated against measles. The increased number of measles importations seen in recent weeks is reflective of a rise in global measles cases and a growing global threat from the disease.
Recommendations for Healthcare Providers
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Isolate: Do not allow patients with suspected measles to remain in the waiting room or other common areas of the healthcare facility; isolate patients with suspected measles immediately, ideally in a single-patient airborne infection isolation room (AIIR) if available, or in a private room with a closed door until an AIIR is available. Healthcare providers should be adequately protected against measles and should adhere to standard and airborne precautions when evaluating suspect cases regardless of their vaccination status.
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Notify: Immediately notify local or state health departments about any suspected case of measles to ensure rapid testing and investigation. Measles cases are reported by states to CDC through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and can also be reported directly to CDC at measlesreport@cdc.gov.
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Test: Follow CDC’s testing recommendations and collect either a nasopharyngeal swab or throat swab for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), as well as a blood specimen for serology from all patients with clinical features compatible with measles. RT-PCR is available at CDC, at many state public health laboratories, and through the APHL/CDC Vaccine Preventable Disease Reference Centers.
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Manage: In coordination with local or state health departments, provide appropriate measles post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to close contacts without evidence of immunity, either MMR or immunoglobulin. The choice of PEP is based on elapsed time from exposure or medical contraindications to vaccination.
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Vaccinate: Make sure all your patients are up-to-date on measles vaccine, especially before international travel. People 6 months of age or older who will be traveling internationally should be protected against measles. Read more
| | Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month | | | | |
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is recognized in February to ensure that everyone has the tools to promote safe, healthy relationships and stand against dating violence.
Teen dating violence (TDV), also called, “dating violence”, is an adverse childhood experience that affects millions of young people in the United States. Dating violence can take place in person, online, or through technology.
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Advocates are here to listen without judgement. Services are always FREE and available 24/7.in English, Spanish and 200+ languages through interpretation service.
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Region One ESC Learning Opportunities
Upcoming Workshops
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| Nurse Session Fees Waived through 3/31/2024! | | Trauma- Informed, Resilience-Oriented, and Equity-Focused Systems (TIROES) | | Region One will be hosting a series of virtual trainings for Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented, and Equity-Focused Systems presented by the National Council of Mental Wellbeing. These Sessions will provide participants with vital information regarding the prevalence and impact of trauma and how school health personal can intervene through a trauma informed lens. | |
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Session 07: Resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth 2/8/2024 - Learn how resilience and post-traumatic growth connects to other concepts in TIROES and how this influences your system.
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Session 08 Practical Application in School Nursing 3/7/2024 - Learn practical tools and habits to become a TIROES provider within your school community.
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| Texas DSHS Online Spinal Screening Certification Training | | Spinal screening workshop certifies individuals to conduct the spinal screenings mandated by the state. Texas spinal screening is designed to identify adolescents with abnormal spinal curves and refer them to appropriate follow-up by their primary care physicians (PCP). | | |
Important Reminders
- Candidates for this certification must be high school graduates
- Make sure all required fields are filled in on your registration.
- All the information is required for your certification.
| | Transitioning to School Nursing - Laredo Training | | The Transitioning to School Nursing seminar took place on January 9th in Laredo Texas. Our meticulously crafted curriculum addresses the unique needs of school nurses, equipping them with the latest knowledge and practical skills to excel in their crucial role. | | Our nurses aren't just trained; they're empowered to stay at the forefront of healthcare with ongoing opportunities, keeping them abreast of the latest advancements and best practices. | | Our Participating school districts included: Laredo ISD, United ISD, Roma ISD, Santa Maria ISD & Webb ISD. | |
Nursing Continuing Professional Development
NCPD Opportunities
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8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Learning Session Topics:
- Headaches in Children and Teenagers
- Headaches and Mental Health
- Managing Headaches during school hours
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*DHR Health is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. | |
Congratulations to JoAnn Lopez
the District Healthcare Director of Raymondville ISD.
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If you have news, we want to hear about it! We would like to feature the great things our school health professionals are doing in their roles. | |
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Missed out on past newsletter?
Don't worry, we've got you covered.
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Jacqueline Harden, BSN, RN
Regional School Based Nurse
School Health Services
Division of Administrative Leadership,
School, and Community Support
P: (956) 984-6208
E: jharden@esc1.net
www.esc1.net/school-health
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