Pandemic, Partnership
and Planning
Rebecca King RN, MSN, MEd
School Health Services Coordinator
WVDE-Office of Healthy Schools Coordinator
Pandemic, Partnership
and Planning
WV Department of Education
WV State Board of Education
(Promulgate educational rule for PreK-12,
adult vocational, institutional education facilities
and the school for the deaf and blind)
State
Superintendent
of Schools
WVDE Offices
Deputy
Superin
tendent
RESA
OEPA
Programs in the
WVDE-Office of Healthy Schools
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION
COORDINATED SCHOOL PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS
DRIVERS EDUCATION
FITNESSGRAM
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
HEALTH DATA COLLECTION
HEALTH EDUCATION ASSESSMENT PROJECT (HEAP)
HEALTH SERVICES
REGIONAL SCHOOL WELLNESS SPECIALISTS
POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE
SCHOOL HEALTH PROFILES
STD AND TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT / DISCIPLINE
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND TOBACCO PREVENTION
YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY/YOUTH TOBACCO SURVEY
Coordinated-School Public
Health Partnership
Bureau for
Public Health
Unheard of…..
Health and Education
The Beginnings…
Planning
• State and local public health
extensive Pan-Flu planning set the
framework
– Relationships developed
– General plans in place
– Started the pandemic with a comfort
level yet many unknowns existed
April 2009
H1N1 Memo
“It is essential that schools work
with their local health
departments in protecting the
health of students, staff and
community as well as keeping
parents and students informed”.
Partnership Beginnings
• Developing guidance documents tailored to
WV prior to CDC documents being finalized
together (field trips, school closures, schoollocated vaccination clinics, memos,
conference calls, webinars and tools).
• WVDE and WVDHHR speaking with one
voice (press release, continuous contact,
briefings, management of emails and calls,
etc.).
• A unified front with respect and trust.
Communications
• Moving the message throughout the
state to LHDs and schools.
• Understanding of the documents.
• Autonomy of county plans to control
H1N1 spread.
• Building relationships.
• Defining laws and policies including
licensure.
• Educating parents and students.
• Expertise and Safety
Challenges
• The Nature of the Beast causing a need for
action without any planning.
• Trust
• Building nonexistent relationships to
forging relationships/partnerships at times.
• Respecting the expertise of agencies and
partners involved in School-Located
Vaccination Clinics.
• Overload to an already stretched work
force in public health and schools.
Overall Impact
•
•
•
•
•
Control of spread
Early identification
Superintendent and staff education
Student and Parent education
Overall positive results for both the
community and schools.
• Continuation of partnerships.
• Understanding and respect of rules,
roles and relationships.
Overall Impact
• Schools saw an increase in test scores
in 2009/10 school year.
• Schools seem to have seen decreases
in overall absenteeism in 2009/10
school year.*
*Based on qualitative data.
How do we get there?
Working Together for a
Healthier Community
• Working relationships to improve student and staff
health and education.
• Capitalization of funding sources.
• Training of school personnel to recognize early
signs and symptoms of communicable diseases,
immunization rule compliance, provide fluoride
rinse programs, health promotion programs,
enhancing health and physical education, physical
activity, nutritional programs, relationships with
private medical providers, filling in the resource
gaps, etc.
Together WE Can
Make a Difference
THANK YOU
for your hard work and partnership!
Rebecca King
WVDE
School Health Services Coordinator
rjking@access.k12.wv.us
304.558.8830