School-Based Telehealth Program Expands Access To Virtual Care

McLeod Health has partnered with schools in Florence County School District Two to expand its School-Based Telehealth Program (SBTP) that provides non-emergency medical care to students through McLeod Telehealth visits.

McLeod provided Hannah-Pamplico Elementary/Middle School and Hannah-Pamplico High School with devices including a remote stethoscope and otoscope as well as a computer, monitor, and camera.

“Florence County School District Two is excited about the Telehealth program being available to students in our school district,” said Superintendent Dr. Neal Vincent. “We look forward to the convenience the program will offer our families for minor illnesses while keeping our students in the classroom as much as possible.”

This partnership comes after McLeod Health started the School-Based Telehealth Program at Florence County School District One and The King’s Academy (TKA) in August of 2019. The program will continue through the 2020-2021 school year.

Florence District One Superintendent Dr. Richard O’Malley said that the School-Based Telehealth program has made a positive impact on families in the district.

“At any point during the school day, our students can visit their school nurse and connect remotely to quality healthcare with a local provider,” O’Malley explained. “It is amazing what we can do within our school health rooms using the state-of-the-art equipment provided by McLeod.”

“The telehealth visits have saved our parents time and, more importantly, our students have not lost instructional time,”  O’Malley continued. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with McLeod to provide our students with quick access to quality care.”

Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for McLeod Health Matt Reich said that the SBTP leverages telehealth tools to give families greater access to care and minimize children’s time away from school.

“This patient-centric approach not only provides a convenient way to receive care, but most importantly, it ensures that students receive the health care they need,” explained Reich. “With McLeod TeleHealth, students stay healthier and maximize their time in the classroom.”

A typical patient experience in the SBTP starts with the school nurse sending information on the student’s condition as well as her age, weight, and vitals to McLeod. Then, a telehealth appointment is scheduled and the parent receives an email link to connect to the visit.

To start the visit, the practitioner at McLeod will talk with the student about how they are feeling and gather information about the child’s medical history from the parent. Then, the school nurse facilitates the exam by using the mHealth devices that allow the McLeod practitioner to check the ears, nose, and throat, as well as to listen to the heart and lungs.

The practitioner can also evaluate rashes or ask the nurse to swab for flu, among other things. Before the visit ends, the McLeod practitioner will ask the parent and child if there are any questions or concerns. If a prescription is necessary, it will be sent to the family’s preferred pharmacy.

“The School-Based Telehealth Program offers many benefits for our children and community,” said Lisa Wallace, a McLeod nurse practitioner who performs SBTP visits. “In addition to providing a rapid diagnosis and treatment, our goal is to also increase access to better health care for every student.”

Wallace noted that while the program reduces student absenteeism, risk of infection, and the use of the emergency department for non-emergent medical situations, the program is not designed to replace a student’s primary health care that is provided by their pediatrician.

“It is exciting to be part of a program that utilizes current technology to provide early intervention for treatment of minor illnesses,” said Cathy Parnell, the school nurse for The King’s Academy. “This partnership gives students access to an entire team of skilled healthcare professionals all working towards a common goal of reducing school absences and returning them to optimal health as soon as possible.”