MDPH School Health Unit Update
April 17, 2020
Greetings from the School Health Unit!
This year National School Nurse Day (click here for resources) will surely look and feel different, but what has not changed is the commitment and expertise school nurses bring to work every day, no matter where that work is physically located. I am in awe of all you are doing, and wish to also recognize two School Health Unit staff who are contributing to the COVID-19 response effort in addition to their regular jobs: Caitlin Pettingill is doing contact tracing work for the City of Framingham and Juliet Berk is assisting with hospital PPE procurement.
Below is information on the upcoming virtual regional meetings and more great work shared by school nursing staff. Thank you for taking such good care of your students, communities, and your own families. Please be sure to also practice self-care, for you cannot give away what you don’t have.
In gratitude,
Karen
UPDATES
UPCOMING VIRTUAL REGIONAL MEETINGS
- Taking place via Zoom platform with security controls in place. Registration links have been sent by your Regional Consultant.
- Regional meetings are not just for grant funded districts. However we ARE asking, due to capacity, that only nurse leaders/managers or their designee attend, regardless of funding status.
- Format and features will be covered at the beginning of program. We will utilize polls, breakout rooms and chat to share experiences and best practices during this unprecedented time in history.
- Regional Consultants and DPH staff will introduce the webinar and facilitate certain sections, but will otherwise serve as active listeners during the event and will not be answering questions or providing feedback. This is YOUR meeting!
- This webinar is being recorded, however the breakout portions will not be recorded.
This webinar will be structured around the following questions:
- What has the primary nurse/nurse leader role been during school closures? What have you seen as your most important task?
- Please provide one support and one barrier to continuity of care during the school closures. What’s one thing you might have done differently at the beginning?
- Have you been asked to work in another capacity outside of your normal school-related duties? Have you used a new technology or new method for communicating with your community?
- What do you think you need to prepare for re-entry to school? What has been primary role of the nurse leader in the re-entry planning process?
Please give these questions some thought and come ready to share with your colleagues!
GOOD THINGS HAPPENING: NURSES SHARE FROM ACROSS OUR COMMONWEALTH!
Thank you so much for all the emails in regards to the good work school nurses are doing; please keep them coming!
Haverhill:
Springfield:
Gloucester:
From Teri Brand, BSN, RN, NCSN: School nurses in the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District are assisting the Wilbraham Public Health Nurse with the work of COVID-19 case interviews and contact tracing. We are happy to provide this support to our community.
From Bill Marrapese, MSN, RN: As the school nurse for Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School, I see my students virtually (although also in person prior to this pandemic). My role has been weekly education to students and parents, to provide a thoughtful source of education on,
- Hand washing
- Social distancing
- Engagement with their pediatrician
From Christine Beaumont, MSN, RN: I wanted to let you know that the entire team of West Springfield School Nurses and I have been assisting the West Springfield Health Dept. with COVID 19 case interviews, contact tracing and identification and working with MAVEN since March 20, 2020. Beginning 3/16/20, I spent time with the health dept. planning the process and training the school nurses and that training continues with each update. We are so happy to be able to help with this important work.
From Elizabeth Nightingale, MS, RN: Here are just some of focused efforts in Canton of continued support for students and families; School Nurses, June Warren, Christine Trendell, and Bailey Hewitt are volunteering their time to help the Board of Health track COVID 19 cases. Kennedy Elementary Nurse, Ellen Stenmon, is quickly adapting to the role of the “Virtual Nurse” with “Google classroom drop-ins” to visit with the students and support the teaching staff.
Karen Robitaille, MBA, MSN, RN, NCSN
< she, her, hers >
Director of School Health Services
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Bureau of Community Health & Prevention
250 Washington Street, 5th floor
Boston, MA 02108
MA Department of Public Health School Health Unit Contact Information
Karen Robitaille, MBA, MSN, RN, NCSN
Director of School Health
Email: Karen.Robitaille2@state.ma.us
Caitlin Pettengill, DNP, RN
Assistant Director of School Health
Email: caitlin.pettengill@state.ma.us
Juliet Sithole-Berk, MPA, MSCED
Unit Coordinator
Email: Juliet.Berk1@State.ma.us
Evelyn Levenson
Interim Medication Administration Program Coordinator
Email: evelyn.levenson@state.ma.us
Robert Leibowitz, Ph.D.
Epidemiologist
Email: robert.leibowitz@state.ma.us
Statewide Regional School Nurse Consultant Contacts
Boston
Mary Jane O'Brien, PhD, RN, CPNP, NCSN
mobrien@bostonpublicschools.org
Central
Janet Guertin-Moruzzi BSN, RN, NCSN
Metro West
Jill Connolly, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
jill.connolly@braintreeschools.org
Northeast
Shanyn A. Toulouse, MEd, BSN, RN NCSN
shanyn.toulouse@haverhill-ps.org
Southeast
Ann M. Linehan, DNP, MSN, RN
West
Veronica Webb Barrett, MSN, MA Ed Psych, RN, HNB-BC