Lack of School Nurses Leaves Children at Risk

Sacramento, CA, January 29, 2011 --(PR.com)-- As school district budgets shrink, the number of school nurses and public health nurses is on the decline. Is there an alternative for school districts and charter schools? Marianne Akerland, RN, PHN, CCM, believes there is and has developed a program to help schools keep students safe and healthy. School Health Solutions has introduced a cost-effective way for schools to implement school health programs.

More and more students are coming to school with chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, seizure disorders, and severe allergies. Having policies and procedures in place is critical to meeting the needs of these students. Utilizing a network of RN's, LVN's, Health Educators, Health Clerks and other professionals, School Health Solutions provides Care Management, Training, Policy and Procedure Development, Consultation, Vision and Hearing Screening, Health Education, Compliance Auditing and more. School Health Solutions provides all of these services under the supervision of a California Credentialed School Nurse.

"I began to think about the economy and the fact that school district budgets are shrinking, the number of school nurses and public health nurses is declining, yet at the same time, there has been an explosion in growth of the charter schools” stated the founder of School Health Solutions, Marianne Akerland. “I wondered how the charter schools would address the needs of their students with conditions such as diabetes, asthma, life-threatening allergies, seizures, etc....I realize that many charter schools just aren't in a position to hire a school nurse and I saw a need to help them meet the health related needs of their students.”

Akerland saw a way to help them meet the health related needs of their students. With a background as a credentialed school nurse and also as a certified case manager she saw a place for case management in the school setting.

Using a case management model, Akerland believes her company can help schools ensure the safety and well-being of students with health conditions, in a cost-effective way, and also help reduce a school's potential liability. Schools assume liability when injury or illness occurs that could have been prevented but education budgets are limited and that's a real issue that's putting a lot of Administrators in a difficult position. Akerland says, “School Nursing doesn't have to be an "all or nothing" proposition for schools - especially smaller schools. We can help schools by providing solutions and services that can be tailored to a school’s specific needs." For more information go to http://www.schoolhealthsol.com.

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