The Challenge 

Salisbury School did not face the large number of health information collection challenges many schools experience annually; however, even with a system in place, they were left with the headache of follow up phone calls and missing paperwork. Using an Excel spreadsheet, nurses manually tracked all incoming faxed and mailed forms, and recorded notes regarding missing information and when it was expected to arrive. 

Aside from follow up, the biggest problems were record storage and accessibility of charts. While enrolled, a student’s chart was stored in the health center, and once they graduated or withdrew, it was moved to the archives in a separate building. Because the charts were paper, student information was only accessible from the health center; meaning trainers, coaches, and other staff did not have visibility over students’ vital health information. 

“[An electronic Student Health Record (SHR) is] perfect for nights when we’re on call. It enables more triage over the phone.”

– Beth Vernalli, Director of Health Services

The Solution 

Initially Beth Vernali, Director of Health Services at Salisbury School, was opposed to an electronic process. But after attending a Magnus Health luncheon, she was immediately interested. “The aspect of having accessibility everywhere was really appealing, and also not having to worry about where to store paper charts,” said Vernali. 

Not surprisingly, new software brought about some frustrations for Vernali and her team, but they found comfort in being able to contact Magnus for assistance. “The Client Services team has been great — very courteous, responsive, and knowledgeable.” 

The Result 

While Salisbury School was not actively searching for a new system, they found that SHR improved their process, most notably by removing the follow up phone calls that used to be the norm. Now, automatic email reminders are solving communication issues with parents. Storage problems have been resolved, and the health center staff can more easily serve students. Vernali and the other three nurses all live off campus, and because charts are accessible from anywhere, SHR is “perfect for nights when we’re on call. It enables more triage over the phone,” said Vernali. 

Thankfully, Salisbury School hasn’t needed to use Magnus911 frequently, but they are ready when they need to do so. Vernali made a PDF of all student Magnus911 cards, and saved them to a disk, then provided that disk to the local hospital in case students do not always have their card in hand. If a student is taken to a different hospital, coaches and athletic trainers also carry a disk, along with instructions on how to access the information for the appropriate student. The same is done for doctor’s offices, pharmacies, or any other provider who may need access to the information. The important thing to note here is that only the required information is shared. “I just run a report showing only what’s needed for them to do their jobs,” said Vernali, adding, “It’s been really nice to disseminate the appropriate information to the appropriate people without sharing more than what is absolutely necessary.” 

“The Client Services team has been great — very courteous, responsive, and knowledgeable.”

– Beth Vernalli, Director of Health Services 

Summary 

Salisbury School was already organized with a process in place for health information, but with increased communication and emergency capabilities, and storage issues resolved, “SHR made it that much better,” said Vernali. And, with a great relationship with the Magnus Health Client Services team, Vernali and the other nurses at Salisbury School can easily provide feedback on what could make the system even more robust and useful in their health center.