March 22, 2020; Vol 2, Issue 25
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Greetings!
Please read these updates related to school nurses and COVID-19.
Continuing self-care is important while you are maintaining physical distancing, hand washing, refraining from touching your face and other prevention measures!
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This pandemic looks more like a long-distance race rather than a sprint, and we need to maintain our own physical and emotional health to care for others!
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MSNO Past President and Treasurer Katie Vozeolas shares her experience with COVID-19 illness.
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Katie Vozeolas shared with current MSNO President Jenny Gormley her reasons for going public about her symptoms and positive testing for COVID-19:
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" I wanted to be transparent so that many people would not speculate on who in school department was positive, and to tackle stigma head on. . . I have had very mild symptoms, weird symptoms, and no fever. I really pushed hard to get tested and because I am a health care worker, I qualified. No one was more surprised than my PCP that I was actually positive for COVID-19. How many people are out there who do not even know they are positive, and think their symptoms are nothing, or call their provider and do not qualify for testing? This is why everyone staying home is so vital. There will be many people who do just isolate on their own, who are positive, and by doing so, protect others."
March 20th articles about this story:
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Considering how to donate unused masks or other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from your school health office?
Please read this message from Karen Robitaille, Director of the MA Department of Public Health School Health Services Unit, shared with MSNO:
Greetings school health staff!
I cannot begin to express my appreciation for all you have done, and will surely continue to do, during the COVID-19 pandemic, not just for your students and families, but for the community at large. I, for one, have never been so proud to be a nurse.
In the interest of brevity, I’ll get right to business answering some of the key questions you have posed:
- I have extra PPE in my school/school district. How can I donate it to healthcare personnel?
Get in touch with the Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition (HMCC) in your region. The HMCCs function as regional coordinating and facilitating entities within the six DPH Emergency Preparedness regions throughout the Commonwealth. One of their roles is to help connect entities within a region to facilitate resource requests. Specifically when one entity has a critical need for a resource, the HMCC connects them to other entities within their region who may be able to spare/lend this resource to keep the requesting entity operational.
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Click on this
link
to the MA government website for more information about the HMCCs, specific locations, and contact information.
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- What can I do, as a school nurse, to help?
I would urge you to reach out to your local health department to see if you can be of any assistance. Many may need help with managing tracking and follow-up with COVID-19 cases in their communities.
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Click on this
link
for a listing of local boards of health in Massachusetts.
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- May I use CSHS funds to purchase PPE or cleaning supplies?
At this time consumables not already included in your budget are not allowable expenses. More information on this may be forthcoming.
It is my hope that this communication helps to answer some of your questions. Additional resources are listed below. DPH School Health Services staff and Regional Consultants are working remotely during this time so please note that email is the best way to reach us at this time. Email information is at the bottom of this email. We will do our best to push out up to date information from MDPH and the CDC as quickly as we can.
Until we meet again, take care and be well.
Karen
Key Resources
DPH previously shared information and guidance sheets for use with individuals in your jurisdictions who are under isolation or quarantine. DPH has now had those documents translated into multiple languages:
DPH has developed a video and poster on social distancing for you to use:
Please continue to direct the public to the following information sources:
MASS211:
www.mass211.org
or #Call2Talk or Dial 211 24/7 for information and referrals to local resources, including public’s questions on Covid-19 – multi-lingual, confidential and free. Share connections with residents!
MA Department of Public Health School Health Unit Contact Information
Karen Robitaille, MBA, MSN, RN, NCSN
Director of School Health
Caitlin Pettengill, DNP, RN
Assistant Director of School Health
Juliet Sithole-Berk, MPA, MSCED
Unit Coordinator
Evelyn Levenson
Interim Medication Administration Program Coordinator
Robert Leibowitz, Ph.D.
Epidemiologist
Click
HERE
for School Health Unit information and resources!
Statewide Regional School Nurse Consultant Contacts
Boston
Mary Jane O'Brien, PhD, RN, CPNP, NCSN
Central
Janet Guertin-Moruzzi BSN, RN, NCSN
Metro West
Jill Connolly, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
Northeast
Shanyn A. Toulouse, MEd, BSN, RN NCSN
Southeast
Ann M. Linehan, DNP, MSN, RN
West
Veronica Webb Barrett, MSN, MA Ed Psych, RN, HNB-BC
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The New England School Nurse Conference (NESNC) in Rhode Island is cancelled. Click
here
for more information.
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50th Celebration Postponed
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The MSNO 50th Anniversary Celebration scheduled for April 4th is postponed in order to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus.
The new date is December 5th.
C
l
ick
HERE
for more information about registration & refunds.
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Thank you to the more than 30 school nurses who responded to the request from Atrius Health for assistance in their call centers. If MSNO receive more requests, we will share as we can.
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JOBS
$100 fee waived if person requesting posting is a current MSNO member! Click
here
for jobs, and scroll down web page for listings.
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Continuing Education for School Nurses -
please check individual websites for cancelled and postponed events.
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Jenny Gormley, DNP, RN, NCSN
Director, Northeastern University School Health Academy
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Carilyn Rains, MEd, RN
Director of School Health Services
Plymouth Public Schools
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Doreen Crowe, MEd, BSN, RN
NASN Director
Director of Nursing Services Wilmington Public Schools
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Jane Ferrara, MA, BSN, RN
School Nurse
Wilmington Public Schools
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June Kazes, MSN, RN, NCSN
School Nurse Leader
Beverly Public Schools
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Lee Waingortin, MSN, RN, NCSN
Director of Nursing
Milford Public Schools
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Roselaine Charlucien-Koech
MEd, BSN, RN
School Nurse
Boston Public Schools
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Terry Grimm, BSN, RN, NCSN
School Nurse
Belmont Public Schools
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Adria Pavletic. MSN, MS, RN, NCSN
Director of Health Services
St. Mark's Schoo
l
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Barbara Hedstrom, MSN, RN, NCSN
School Nurse
No. Andover Public Schools
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Kathy Hassey, DNP, MEd, BSN, RN
Director, Northeastern University
School Health Academy
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Jamy Gaynor, EdD, MS, RN, NCSN
Secretary starting July 1, 2020
School Nurse
Marlborough Public Schools
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Denise Schwerzler, MSN, RN, NCSN
School Nurse, Weston Public Schools
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Patty Wright, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
Retired School Nurse & Administrator, Weston Public Schools
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Karen Rufo, MSN, RN
Region 7 Co-Chair
School Nurse Administrator
Natick Public Schools
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Cathryn Hampson,BSN,RN,NCSN
Regional 6 Chair
School Nurse & Nurse Co-Coordinator
Spaulding Memorial School
No Middlesex Regional School District
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Marette Power, BSN, RN, NCSN
Region 5 Chair
Lead Nurse
Cape Cod Collaborate School
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Cathy Riccio, MSN, BSN, RN
Safe & Supportive Schools DESE Liaison
Supervisor Health Services & Safety
Newburyport Public Schools
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AnneMarie Schroeder, BSN, RN, NCSN
Region 1 Co-Chair
School Nurse Educator
Plymouth Public Schools
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Karen Roberto,
MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
Co-Chair NESNC Liaison & Region 8
School Nurse
Medford Public Schools
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Judi McAuliffe, RN, NCSN
Region 1 Co-Chair & NESNC Liaison
School Nurse, retired
Pembroke Public Schools
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What we do
MSNO promotes and advances quality school health services throughout the Commonwealth and promotes the rights, interests and professional growth of our members.
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197M Boston Post Road West #251
Marlboro, MA 01752
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