03 Mar NBOA 2015 Recap: 7 Questions Business Officers Should Ask Themselves

If you're a business officer, you have a lot on your mind. From budgets and audits to delegating tasks across departments, there's likely no department you don't have contact with, except one: the health center. 

The missing link between the independent school business office and its school health center isn't new - in fact, health centers often feel like an island within their school. But this trend doesn't have to be permanent, nor should it. That's why we're using data from the Annual Report of Independent School Health Services to show why business officers should be concerned about their health center. The result is a list of seven questions every independent school business officer should ask themselves on a daily basis. With these questions, business officers can be better prepared to manage risk, liability, and emergencies at their school.

Allen Cobb, Magnus Health CPO, and Wendy Barnhart, Director of Business and Finance at The Westminster Schools, recently presented these seven questions at the National Business Officers Association Annual Meeting. You can get a recap of that presentation by watching the video below, plus we've compiled all seven questions (plus extra data) right here. 

25 Feb Preparing for weather emergencies and increasing communication [Client Success Story]

Client Profile 

• Name: Pam Gorman
• Job Title: Director of Health Services
• School: Portsmouth Abbey School
• Location: Portsmouth, RI
• Type: Catholic Boarding & Day Grades 9-12
• Size: 360 students
• Website: portsmouthabbey.org

When Pam Gorman, Director of Health Services, began working at Portsmouth Abbey 30 years ago, she could track all student medications on a single sheet of paper. But, as state requirements became more strict, and the frequency of student health conditions increased, Portsmouth Abbey realized the need for a new system to track and manage medical information.

Gorman and her team initially had reservations about switching to a web-based system, but after implementation and becoming acquainted with Magnus, everyone was able to embrace the paperless environment. “I learned that [the process] is very simple. If I can do it, the only excuse that a parent would have is that they do not have a computer,” Gorman said.

06 Feb How to chart student visits with multiple school nurses

The structure of each school's health center varies quite a bit. Some schools share a nurse with neighboring schools, while others may have three nurses regularly on staff. (Curious what the trends are? You can see them in the Annual Report of Independent School Health Services.) 

Whichever your school's situation may be, keeping student health information secure is a priority when multiple staff members need access to the information. Plus, knowing which nurse or counselor charted a student visit is necessary for maintaining visibility within your health center. It may sound difficult to maintain this level of security and visibility, but the steps below are truly simple. Follow them, and you'll be on your way to charting student visits with multiple school nurses.

23 Jan Make browser bookmarks work for you

My mother is an elementary school media specialist, and she always taught me never to dog-ear a book. As a result, I own a number of bookmarks. Sure, they masquerade as other things - receipts, wrapping paper, socks - but their real purpose in life, the reason they were put on this Earth, is to function as cutting-edge bookmarks. Why? Because there is nothing more frustrating than re-reading something 12 times, or being in the middle of what can only be described as the greatest love story mankind has ever been privy to (thank you, Nicholas Sparks), and losing your place because a child needs attention, or you fall asleep and the book falls off the bed. You see, these are real issues, and bookmarks fix them. Such a small thing, but what a big invention.

04 Dec Concussion prevention and response: High school winter sports

As high school winter sport athletes are bundling up to train through the coldest months of the year there is one topic in the back of parents' and coaches' minds: Concussions. And while statistics and news surrounding the lasting effects of concussions are usually referenced in football, concussion safety matters in every sport - especially winter sports such as ice hockey, basketball, and wrestling. The fact of the matter is that concussions can happen to any athlete, at any time, and they actually affect athletes in winter sports more than any other season.

That's why we've provided four steps to approaching concussions during high school winter sports so everyone can stay as safe as possible. While the focus here is on preventing concussions, it's quite possible that a TBI (traumatic brain injury) may still occur which is why concussion treatment techniques are included below. By following medical guidelines for concussion prevention, diagnoses, and treatment, you can be a part of the growing movement to reduce concussions in sports everywhere.

28 Aug 3 steps to getting student health forms in on time

It's the beginning of a fresh new school year. Parents are rushing to the store to pick up backpacks and washable markers, while students are texting their friends to find out if they're in the same World History class. The last thing on anyone's mind is making sure all of their student health forms are filled out and submitted to the school.

19 Aug Communicating to parents why you require student health information

You have to communicate with parents. You know it. They know it. It's not always fun, but it is necessary. You communicate with them about everything, and you do it throughout the year, so it's easy to see how some things can fall through the cracks or simply be ignored by parents.

But, health information cannot be ignored. You have to have the information on the student to properly and completely fulfill your duties as caregiver of the student while they are at school. And that's exactly what we encourage you to tell parents. 

We've found that when school administration and health services explain not just what they're requiring, but why they're requiring it, the collection and enforcement headaches are alleviated. During the school year, students spend a significant portion of each day in the care of school staff. That time increases dramatically when you factor in sports. And with boarding schools, the school is the primary caregiver all the time.

30 Jul Zero tolerance is your friend

What comes to mind when you hear "zero tolerance"? Drugs? Weapons? Dress code? I'd like to suggest that zero tolerance has a rightful place in health form compliance as well.

The beauty of zero tolerance, as it relates to compliance, is that it's entirely enforceable, and deals more with enforcing action by the parents before the start of school, than student behavior on a daily basis during the school year. In essence, a zero tolerance health form compliance policy mandates that all required health information be submitted prior to the start of school, and in the event that anything is missing, the student is denied entry to school, athletics, or any school-related trip. 

10 Jul 4 ways to invest in student safety (without ever spending a dime)

Budgets are a sensitive, and stressful, topic in the world of schools. Just about everything comes with a price - from campus security systems to additional staff members. That's why budgeting is a difficult task for the business office. The business office must analyze return on investment for each and every purchase, to ensure it is the right decision for the school. The good news is that there are ways to improve school environments, and to put everyone's minds at ease, without ever worrying about ROI. How? By trying these four ways to invest in student safety. The best part is they are totally and completely free.

24 Jun School security: Protecting student information in a digital age

In today's digital age, it's common for schools to use technology for everyday tasks, student management, or classroom activities - it just make life easier. But as wonderful as technology is, it also brings up new concerns about protecting student information. So how can you make smart tech decisions? How can you combine ease of use with student safety? The answer starts with the unsung hero of the school: The IT guy, or gal.

13 May Developing SMR [Employee Spotlight]

There’s a special place at Magnus for all of our tech-savvy developers and IT folks, and that’s the upstairs realm (literally, they all work upstairs). If you’re brave enough to enter, you’ll find some of the brightest men and women around, all working tirelessly to make Magnus Health SMR the best school health software possible for staff, students, and parents.

Dan Lombardi is no exception to this rule. He’s one of those special tech-savvy developers, and every time a parent or student logs into their Magnus account to fill out a Vital Health Record, they are directly interacting with one of Dan’s projects. Pretty neat, right?

24 Apr Thorough and efficient documentation with Check In [Client Success Story]

Client Profile

• Name: Kris Sabel
• Title: Middle and Upper School Nurse
• School: Latin School of Chicago
• Location: Chicago, IL
• Type: Pre-K-12 Private, Coed, Day School
• Size: 1,110 students
• Website: latinschool.org

Prior to becoming a Magnus Health customer, Kris, like many nurses, documented student visits on paper. The downside to that was that she did not have time to take very thorough notes. It was also nearly impossible to keep the notes private when the health center was busy and she was caring for multiple students at a time. “Thorough and accurate documentation is a huge priority for nurses,” Kris explained, “it is our safety net, should legal instances arise. When a school is sued, it is often related to a medical issue. According to nursing law, no documention means that no interventions were provided.”