Children's Hospital New Orleans and NOLA Public Schools Partner to Help Keep Students Healthy
Children’s Hospital New Orleans’ School Telehealth Program provides tech tools for school nurses to expand student health service capabilities
NEW ORLEANS - (Aug. 19, 2019) – NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) has partnered with Children’s Hospital New Orleans to extend school health services for students via the School Telehealth Program in more than a dozen schools. Children’s Hospital New Orleans will provide school nurses from across the district with training and digital exam equipment, such as laptops and digital exam cameras, to assist students immediately with minor health conditions which would otherwise require a doctor’s visit. The digital exam equipment will connect school nurses with one of Children’s Hospital New Orleans’ primary care providers stationed in River Ridge.
“Our role as a school district is to address the most pressing needs of our students and families, and so we have continued to develop these types of ongoing strategic, creative partnerships throughout the city to bring more resources to our families and students,” said NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. “Keeping students healthy is a priority for us. In order for our students to receive a high-quality education they deserve; we must make sure that they stay in school when necessary and are healthy enough to learn and grow.”
This service removes the barriers to students accessing care, such as transportation issues, lack of access to the same-day appointment or parents not being able to take time off from work. Additionally, students can return to school sooner after recovering and have any school notes or other documentation sent to the school upon their visit with the school nurse.
“Children’s Hospital’s School-Based Telehealth program brings the skilled services of our experienced pediatricians directly to children while in school,” says John R. Nickens IV, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital. “We are thrilled to partner with NOLA Public Schools to bring care to kids where they are with our on-demand video technology. School-based telehealth means kids return to the classroom sooner and parents can participate without needing to leave work or having to wait for an appointment.”
Thus far, Children’s Hospital New Orleans representatives have met with school leaders across the district to provide an overview of the program, answer any outstanding questions they may have and determine next steps. In late July, Children’s Hospital New Orleans started supplying schools with equipment and hosted training sessions. During school orientations, representatives from the hospital are meeting with parents to explain how the program works.
Learn more about Children's Hospital's School-Based Telehealth Program here.
About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
About Children’s Hospital New Orleans: Children’s Hospital New Orleans is a 229-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, delivered just for children. With more than 400 physicians trained in more than 40 pediatric subspecialties, Children’s offers a comprehensive array of pediatric healthcare services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, the hospital operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana and in Southern Mississippi, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. Children’s Hospital offers primary care services at 15 convenient locations throughout Southeast Louisiana and remotely via its Virtual Care app. Children’s Hospital is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans and West Jefferson Medical Center.
