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Wishes for a happy and healthy new year
OSPI Health Services wishes you a healthy, safe, and happy new year. The work you are doing for Washington's state's children and families is appreciated.
OSPI been collaborating with the Learn to Return COVID-19 Testing Learn to Return Pilot to facilitate testing in schools for districts that are interested. The collaborative is interested in knowing more about the learning needs of school nurses for COVID-19 response mitigation measures and testing. We have developed a very brief survey for school nurses to better understand what professional development needs you may have.
The survey will ask you about specific learning needs, barriers to implementing mitigation measures and student caseload (Number of students and schools). It is an anonymous survey that will be used to potentially develop professional development by the collaborative. We would appreciate your input.
School nurses, please click on this link to take the survey
The following is an update from the Department of Health regarding the expiration of the Naloxone standing order with the retirement of Dr. Lofy .
Dr. Kathy Lofy is still with DOH through early February as a consultant and remains the prescriber for the Naloxone Standing Order until that time. The new Secretary of Health will designate a prescriber when DOH updates the standing order. They will ensure that the standing order does not lapse during that transition.
The new, updated Standing Order will be published on the Drug User Health Webpage once it is signed and any edits are completed.(https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/DrugUserHealth/OverdoseandNaloxone)
On December 30, 2020, the Department of Health (DOH) updated the guidance for distribution of COVID-19 vaccine, expanding Phase 1A tier with a second tier that includes community health workers such as school nurses. Health organizations are encouraged to reach out to community health workers after Phase 1A Tier 1 staff have been vaccinated.
According to the guidance: “Across Washington, it is important that health care systems actively reach out to and provide access to COVID-19 vaccination for community-based health care workforce outside their systems and in their community, this includes other health care providers, school nurses, and behavioral health providers, in order to complete this phase and ensure we have protected healthcare system.”
This may create differences between communities as to when different health care workers obtain vaccine due to differences in population and health care systems. This is meant to provide some flexibility and speed up vaccination efforts where possible. Please work with your district leadership to connect with local health providers that may have vaccine available. DOH has released Phasefinder survey application that will help individuals in Washington state determine when they are eligible for vaccine. Currently it will only approve those individuals eligible under Phase 1 of the allocation plan. You can enter your c
There has been some confusion with the various gov.delivery options for health services and we apologize for that. After discussing this with OSPI Communications, it was decided to combine both health services topics into one labeled health services. You should not have to change your subscriber preferences to continue receiving updates. You can update your preferences here.
Please contact us at healthservices@k12.wa.us or by phone: (360) 725-6054
We check phone message intermittently. During the pandemic, email is the best way to contact Health Services staff for a more immediate response.
School Health Services | OSPI (www.k12.wa.us)
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