Health Service Office (HSO)
The Health Service Office is open routinely from 8:00 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. The school nurse/designee provides health services, consultation, resources and education to students, parents, faculty and staff. The goal of the HSO is to maintain and/or improve the physical, mental and emotional health of students by promoting self-care behaviors that encourage healthy choices and maximize the student's ability to learn. For a summary description of NYA Programs that Address Issues of Decision Making and Risky Behaviors, click here.
Confidentiality:
All original health forms submitted are kept in the HSO. To provide information to designated persons providing care to students, the form - Health Information & Authorization for Health Care is copied and placed in a non-revealing envelope/binder to assure confidentiality. Copies are provided when a student is off campus for field trips, athletic events or other school related activities and are located in areas on campus for access by school personnel providing care. Designated areas on campus are the Main Office, Middle School Office (for middle school students only) and areas designated by the Crisis Management Team.
- It is important for the school nurse, designated faculty/staff/coaches and emergency health care
providers to have current/updated information to provide safe and appropriate care. During the school
year, parents should notify the HSO of any changes in a student's health status, including illness,
injury, or change in prescription medication.
- If there is information you are concerned about submitting on any form, please contact the school nurse to discuss your concerns and develop a plan.
Health Forms:
In order to ensure health and well being of students specified health forms are required and need to be submitted for each student. It is important that the HSO receive all health forms prior to start of pre-season athletics, class trips and start of school. Students whose forms are not submitted by the deadline will not be allowed to participate in pre and/or regular season athletics, class trips or other off-campus activities until they are submitted. All forms are reviewed by the school nurse and stored in the HSO.
Forms to be completed by parent or guardian:
- Health Information & Authorization for Health Care (on entry and annually).
- Health Survey (on entry)
- Maine School Asthma Plan (annually if indicated by diagnosis of asthma)
- Authorization For Administration of Medication by School Personnel (when medication is required
during school and/or when off campus on a school sponsored event)
Forms to be completed by healthcare provider:
- Physical Exam (on entry to NYA, start of 9th and 11th grade and/or by request to assure physical
on file is dated within 2-3 years)
- or Waiver of Exam (after initial physical submitted and then due dates of physical exam)
- Immunization Record/Exemption (on entry and updated on physical every two years)
- Maine School Asthma Plan (annually if indicated by diagnosis of asthma)
- Authorization For Administration of Medication by School Personnel (when medication is required
during school and/or when off campus on a school sponsored event)
Injury or Illness:
- First aid and over-the counter-medications are available to all students in accordance with the
student health forms submitted by the parent or guardian. Care is usually provided by an RN but when
not available by faculty/staff or coaches during athletics.
- If a student needs to go home due to illness/injury the school nurse or main office will contact
the parent/guardian/designated emergency contact to come and pick up the student. It is important to
keep contact phone numbers up-to-date so that the student can go home in a timely fashion.
- For those students who are driving or walking home, verbal permission must be obtained from the
parent/guardian. The school nurse/designee may assess that the student is unable to drive and require
the parent/guardian will need to pick them up.
- If an emergency exists for an ill/injured student, 911 will be called, and every effort will be
made to contact parent/guardian. A designated NYA employee will accompany any student transported to
the hospital and remain with the student until the parent/guardian arrives.
Medication:
- Students are NOT allowed to carry medication (prescription or over-the-counter) unless authorized
by the Health Office and with a physician order (i.e. inhaler or epi-pen are acceptable for students
to carry).
- If a student requires medication (prescription/over-the-counter) during school hours, a parent
MUST notify the Health Service Office, discuss the plan for administration and complete appropriate
forms: Physical Exam, Physician Authorization for Prescription Medications or a signed prescription.
Medication MUST always be in the original labeled container.
- It is important that the NYA Health Service Office and Emergency Health Providers are aware of
all medications students are taking whether during school hours or not. If changes occur during the
school year, please contact the Health Service Office.
Promoting a Healthy Environment for the School:
Please keep students at home if they are ill. A few possible indicators of illness: a temperature of 100.5 or higher, throwing up or being too nauseated to eat breakfast, diarrhea, a sore throat that hurts to swallow or breathe, incessant coughing, pounding headache, exhaustion, aching all over. Rest and quiet will help students improve faster, and will prevent exposing the school community. If the student has a contagious/communicable disease (i.e. strep throat, chicken pox or conjunctivitis/pink eye), contact the HSO to discuss time period required for exclusion from school.
If you have any health and wellness related questions or concerns, please contact the school nurse: Dena Walker, RN at 846-9051, ext 402 or dwalker@nya.org.