Does your child have a “medical home”?

A “medical home” is a partnership between a family and their child's primary doctor that is based on mutual trust and respect so that the family feels supported in meeting their child’s medical needs. A medical home is not a building, house, or hospital, but rather an approach to providing comprehensive health care.

Research has shown that all children benefit from annual visits with their doctor.  Here are five reasons why:

• You receive health educational materials specific to your child’s age. 

1. You have a chance to bring up any questions you have about your child’s development, overall health or specific condition.
2. It gives the child positive experiences with the doctor and their staff when they are not sick. 
3. Annual visits also allow the doctor to collect information about the child’s health before an urgent problem comes up. 
4. It is much faster and easier to get an urgent appointment if your child has been seen within the last year. 

So, how do I get a medical home for my child? 

1. Start by making sure your child has health insurance.  If they don’t, WAHA can help you sort out your options, for example: 
1. A family of four making $4300 a month can qualify for medical, dental, and vision coverage for their children for only $15 a month. 
2. Other options include: commercial student plans, individual and family plans, catastrophic plans, and Health Savings Accounts. 

1. Next, schedule a complete physical with a doctor who accepts your child’s insurance.  This type of appointment can also clear your child to play sports for the coming year.  If you are having trouble finding a doctor, WAHA can help.

1. And finally, prepare for the visit.  Call WAHA for a tip sheet on what to expect during a complete physical at your child’s age and possible questions to ask your doctor.  These tip sheets are also available on-line at http://www.brightfutures.org/encounter/family/index.html  

The Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access (WAHA) is a local, non-profit community service that can give you more information on these health insurance options.    

Health Services

Cheryl Greathouse & Margaret Gibson, the school district nurses, serve the students in our schools according to a schedule available at any of the schools. The school district carries on an active and comprehensive health services program. The health status of the child bears a direct relationship to the child’s ability to profit from educational experiences.

Medication

Parents are encouraged to give medication outside of school hours whenever possible. If a child has to take medicine during school hours, the medicine must be labeled with the original prescription. This includes the child’s name date, name of physician, name of the drug, dosage, when and how to take the medication. A written note from the parent must be sent with the prescription stating the exact dates and times the medicine is to be taken. Instruct your child to leave the medicine and note with the nurse or the secretary in the school office. The child must be responsible to go to the office to take the medicine at the prescribed times.

Immunizations

Washington State Law requires full immunization of all students enrolled in the District through the age of 18. Immunization must be completed before the first day of school. Students may be exempted from the requirements for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons. A physician’s signature needs to accompany a waiver for medical purposes; a parent’s or guardian’s signature for religious or philosophical reasons. Immunization forms are available at your child’s school or from Whatcom County Public Health Department 360-384-1528 or 360-676-6720.

• DTP/DT/Td (Diphtheria, tetanus, pertusis)&endash;at least 3 doses of vaccine provided that the last dose was received since the child’s 4^th birthday.
• Polio&endash;at least 3 doses of vaccine provided that the last dose was received at the child’s 4th birthday.
• Measles (Rubeola, hard measles, 12-day)&endash;1 dose of live virus received at or after 12 months of age.
• Washington State Law now requires that ALL sixth grade students must have an additional dose of measles vaccine prior to entering school.
• Hepatitis B&endash;Kindergarten students must receive 3 doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine from either their own medical practitioner or the health department, before they will be allowed to enter Kindergarten for the 1000-10 school year.
• Rubella (German measles, 3-day)&endash;1 dose received at or after 12 months of age.
• Mumps&endash;1 dose received at or after 12 months of age. Required only for children in the entry level grade (pre-school, kindergarten, first grade).

Child Abuse

Unfortunately, school personnel do come in contact with children who have been victims of child abuse. By State law (RCW26.44.040), when professional school personnel have "reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered child abuse or neglect, he shall report such incident, or cause a report to be made, to the proper law enforcement agency or to the department of social and health service." The law continues, "Any other person who has reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered child abuse or neglect may report such incident to the proper law enforcement agency or to the department of social and health services."

The local telephone number for child protection is 360-354-4183.

General Health Information

We like to see healthy children at school. For the protection of all students, including your child, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Never send an obviously sick child to school.
• A child with a sore throat, severe cough, earache, who has been vomiting or who has had a fever of 100 or more within the past 24 hours should not be sent to school.
• A child with a known communicable disease (chicken pox, impetigo, strep, scarletina, scabies, ringworm, etc.) should not be sent to school without the specific approval of your doctor.
• A child with head lice will not be allowed to attend school until nit-free. Please notify the school immediately if your child is infested with head lice, as treatment should be sought.
• If your child has been ill with a cold or flu, please use common sense and your own good judgement as to whether or not to send your child back to school.

If a child becomes ill at school, symptoms are noted but not treated and the parent is notified to pick up the child. In the event of a serious injury, parents are contacted for direction; if it is impossible to contact the parents, medical assistance will be obtained.

The school office should be made aware of children with known medical or health problems.