In the interest of providing our customers with the tools needed to protect against this financial liability, we’ve partnered with a company called Concussion Vital Signs. Through this partnership, Magnus Health customers are eligible for a free 90-day trial of their concussion assessment tools.

The Concussion Vital Signs platform has been widely used in clinical trials to collect important information for assessing, monitoring, and managing concussions. Baseline and post-injury testing in particular are very useful for athletic trainers and clinicians to make informed return-to-play decisions. Click here to view samples of Concussion Vital Signs’ easy-to-read reports.

If you’d like to learn more about this partner offer and how Concussion Vital Signs and SMR can minimize your school’s risk, contact our sales team today!

Today we wrapped up our November project, a food drive in support of the North Carolina Food Bank. We added our own little spin to the collection effort to encourage everyone to get involved. Tricia LaPaglia, a member of our technology team, devised a food match game in which we all got to place votes for the Magnus Health employees that best personify the staple foods of the Thanksgiving holiday. One food item = one vote. Now that all of the votes have been tallied, check out our 2011 winners on the Magnus Health Facebook page.

This afternoon we delivered our haul to the NC Food Bank and learned that we collected 279 pounds of food! We are so very grateful to all of our team members for participating and contributing roughly 235 meals to families that need it most. Being the ambitious crew that we are, we’ve already set our 2012 goal at a whopping 1,000 pounds. Stay tuned to find out what we have up our sleeves for our December project!

If the answer to either of those questions was “yes,”

If your school nurse is utilizing traditional database software to track student health information, you probably answered “no” to the second set of questions. What your school needs is a system that can eliminate paper forms altogether so that you can lock down your student health information to remain FERPA- and HIPAA-compliant.

The Magnus Health crew would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween!

These changes in legislation are likely the result of the increase in youth brain injuries over the past several years, as well as some very costly lawsuits surrounding concussions in particular. In a case from Missouri, dating back to 2005: “Failure by high school administrators and football coaches to pull an injured player off the field resulted in permanent brain injury for a 14 year old freshman and ultimately a $3M settlement after suit was filed.” Read the full article here.

Attention: athletic directors and coaches…don’t let this happen to you!

While the laws vary slightly from state-to-state, the fact remains that liability for sports-related student injuries ultimately rests with any school and their staff. Magnus Health can not only help with the collection and review of the required forms, but can also reduce your school’s risk surrounding this liability and numerous other areas in which your school might be vulnerable.

If you’d like to learn more about how Magnus Health’s student medical record (SMR) can assist with your school’s compliance to these state laws and other regulations, sign up for a brief product demonstration here.

• Bacterial meningitis, sometimes referred to as spinal meningitis, is a disease that causes inflammation and swelling of the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.
• The infection is contagious and is spread through close contact (common in on-campus living arrangements) or the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions (such as coughing, kissing, or sharing a glass or cigarette).
• The infection is characterized by a sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. It is often accompanied by other symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, photophobia (sensitivity to light), and an altered mental state.
• Currently, there are two vaccines licensed in the US to protect against meningitis: Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4) and Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (MPSV4). Both vaccines can prevent four types of Meningococcal disease, including 2 of the 3 most common types in the US and the type that causes epidemics in Africa. Both vaccines are highly effective, protecting about 90% of those who are vaccinated; however, MCV4 provides longer-lasting protection and is also better at preventing the disease from spreading from person to person.

The Impact:

• In November 2008, Jamie Schanbaum, a University of Texas at Austin student, contracted bacterial meningitis while living on-campus. When she arrived at Seton Hospital, just a few hours after the onset of her symptoms, Jamie’s kidneys had already stopped working and other organs were beginning to fail. Two short days after being admitted to the hospital, Jamie’s doctors had no other choice but to place her into a coma and onto a ventilator. Eventually, six of Jamie’s fingers and both of her legs had to be amputated in order to save her life.
• In February 2011, Nicolis Williams, a junior at Texas A&M University, died of bacterial meningitis. He started to complain about flu-like symptoms on Monday, was taken to the hospital on Tuesday, and died Friday of the same week. At the time of his diagnosis, the “Jamie Schanbaum State law,” requiring the Meningococcal vaccine for first-time students residing in school housing, did not apply to Williams because he lived off-campus.

The Law:

• Senate Bill 1107, expanding the meningitis vaccine requirement to those living off-campus, was filed by TX State Senator, Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth), and sponsored by State Representative Charlie Howard (R-Sugar Land).
• On May 27, 2011, Governor Rick Perry signed the Jamie Schanbaum and Nicolis Williams Act into law, requiring all new and transferring college students under the age of 30 to be vaccinated for bacterial meningitis as of January 1, 2012.
• There are only three exemptions from the meningitis law:
1. Students who are over the age of 30 when they first enroll in school.
2. Students that submit a signed affidavit from a licensed medical physician stating that the vaccination is detrimental to their health.
3. Students that are conscious objectors for religious reasons and have signed off on a form provided by the state.

The Solution:

• Magnus Health’s web-based, student medical record (SMR) communicates directly with students via email, notifying them of the new meningitis vaccine requirement. Students will receive weekly email reminders until they have fulfilled the requirement, according to school and state standards.
• Once a student submits the required documentation online, showing that they’ve received the meningitis vaccine, Magnus Health utilizes licensed registered nurses to review each student’s medical records, ensuring that they meet school and state standards.
• In the event of a meningitis outbreak on campus, the Magnus Health SMR enables schools to notify students of the outbreak via email. This email can be sent to every student or just those that have not completed their vaccination requirement.

January 1, 2012 is approaching fast. Is your school prepared to handle the new meningitis vaccine requirement?

One subtle automation is product updates. Because our system is web based, all you need is an internet portal to gain access to our suite of tools. With Magnus Health there is no software to install. There are no maintenance contracts and all upgrades are included in our fee. This means when we roll out new features they automatically are received by all.

Where the rubber meets the road of automation is data entry. Magnus Health SMR interfaces directly with the student/parent. All the data entered into our SMR is put there from the student/parent directly. Additionally, Magnus Health SMR lets the student, parent, or doctor’s office fax their medical documentation directly to their account. Our automated computer system identifies the student by the imbedded bar code, scans the document and places it safely in that individuals file. This is all done without human intervention. All of your school’s student medical information that is collected is organized for quick and easy review by the school nurse at their convenience. For an entirely automated process; Magnus Health offers document review by our licensed registered nurses.

Henry Ford’s introduction of the moving assembly line automated automobile production. This automation increased efficiency and significantly lowered the amount of time it required to build an automobile, thus lowering costs. What Ford’s assembly line did for automobile production, Magnus Health SMR can do for the collection and processing of your schools health and medical information.

In my conversations with school nurses, I find that one of their biggest concerns and frustrations is ensuring that this vital information is not only collected systematically, but that it is accessible when it is needed.

Enter Magnus Health. The great news is that Magnus Health SMR is built specifically to manage these very situations. Your students with diabetes, asthma, allergy treatment plans or medication authorizations are prompted to complete and submit these forms and once they are collected, they are automatically grouped together for easy referencing and access. This is true of literally any form you collect from students and parents. It is a virtually effortless process on the part of your health center, and you and your parents have the additional peace of mind of knowing that this critical information is no more than a few clicks away no matter when or where it is needed.

That is the beauty and benefit of a web based Vital Health Record (VHR). Parents complete the essential information the first year that their child enters the school. Before the beginning of each school year from then on, the parent would simply be required to log on to their student’s account, update/verify that the information is still correct and make any necessary changes online – no paperwork being sent to the school. Imagine how happy parents will be when they do not have to reinvent the wheel year after year. Imagine how happy the school will be to save on printing and paper costs. Imagine the efficiency for both the parents and the school in reviewing and updating the information.

VHR ensures that all information gathered is comprehensive: no questions can be left unanswered. Schools will no longer be left to assume that an allergy does not exist if the question is left blank – a “yes” or “no” must be selected. If a “yes” is chosen, the parent will immediately be prompted to provide more information. In the example of a “yes” to an allergy, a parent would instantly need to select: type of allergy, severity, reaction, date of last reaction, whether or not an Epi Pen is needed and a place for the parent to type notes. This attention to detail is carried throughout the VHR. With matters as important as our children’s health, we want to be sure that we are as thorough and specific as possible.

And don’t forget, Magnus Health can also review VHR and all other incoming forms each year for the school – removing yet another burden that is extremely time consuming. (see blog post on Record Review, February 24, 2011)

At Magnus Health, we create solutions that benefit the school as well as the parents.

“Be Prepared”. That’s the motto of the Boy Scouts of America. “Be prepared for what?” someone once asked Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting. “Why, for any old thing.” said Baden-Powell.

It would be impossible to be prepared for “any old thing” that happens at our schools. However, the Magnus 911 feature included in our student medical record program will allow you to be prepared in the event of a medical emergency. This cutting edge technology will allow you to quickly and effectively communicate with an injured student’s emergency contacts as well as send that student’s medical records ahead to the treating facility.

This chain of communication can be instituted simply by accessing Magnus 911 by computer or smart phone and typing in the student’s 16 digit emergency ID number. Once in the Magnus 911 feature, you can enter the fax number or email address of the emergency facility where you would like the student’s health records sent. You can also type a personal message that will be texted and/or emailed immediately to all of the injured student’s emergency contacts, informing them of the situation. If there is not any internet access at your location, you can provide the EMT the students Magnus 911 card. The EMT will have access to the internet in his vehicle or at the hospital and the ability to get the students medical records at that time.

The key to handling any emergency is good communication. The Magnus 911 feature allows you to communicate and coordinate with all relevant parties from one site. It eliminates the need to look up individual student records and make multiple calls to contacts.

Try the Magnus 911 today and you will be prepared for tomorrow!!!