I'm happy to announce a new speaker for the 2015 Independent School Health Conference! Justine Fonte, M.Ed, MPH will lead a breakout session on Friday afternoon entitled, The Authentic Self K-12: What sexuality and health education can be. During her presenation, Justine will discuss how to implement a comprehensive sexuality education program at your school. Get to know more about Justine below!
Raleigh, N.C. (July 9, 2015) Today, Magnus Health, the leading provider of student medical record software and services, announced the acquisition of CareFlow, a Pennsylvania-based software company that serves K-12 private schools through its student health record software.
As is required for any school in Georgia, Trinity School routinely undergoes Public Health audits of their student immunization records. To accommodate the auditor, Nurse Debbie Bright used to make paper copies of the immunization records, divide them by grade level, and place them in a ring binder. That binder would then be given to the assessor to review page by page.
I feel obligated to tell you, there are only 5 (FIVE) seats left at ISHC this July 29-31! After those five seats are filled, you can join a first come, first serve waiting list. So, if I were you, I'd register today!
For those who've reserved their seat under a "Book now, pay later" ticket type, not to worry - your seat is still secure through July 3rd. Remember though, if you don't purchase your ticket by July 3rd, we cannot garauntee your spot at ISHC.
For more on ISHC and the many reasons you should join us this July, keep reading...
I plan to inform you of not one, not two, not three, but seven (7) reasons you should attend the 2015 Independent School Health Conference. Now I could do that in a bulleted list. I could write you a heart-felt acrostic poem. I could ask you to re-read last week's blog on the subject. I could call you up on the phone and, assuming you're free to chat or you have room in your voicemail, tell you in intimate detail why you should find yourself in Raleigh, NC July 29-31.
But I won't do any of those things. Quite frankly I'm not a fan of lists, I'm no great poet, I do not like repeating myself, and the very idea of the telephone gives me nightmares. Instead, I'll allow this slideshow to do the talking.
**This blog post is not legal advice, nor is it a substitute for legal advice.**
Summer sports are here. They are beautiful things but they inherently come with risks. No surprise, sustaining a concussion is one of those risks. We've done a large amount of work on concussions in the past, and this blog post bundles all of that work into one location so you can easily and quickly get yourself up to speed on the latest and greatest developments. Get informed and head back to the field/gym/track/etc. Ready, set, go.
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. That's right, a true zero tolerance approach demands 100% compliance!
I'm excited to announce new speakers for the 2015 Independent School Health Conference! April Chew, MS, RN and Mona Shattell, PhD, RN, FAAN will be our Friday keynote speakers! During the session, April and Mona will detail their research on School Nurses' Beliefs and Interventions for Childhood Obesity. Get to know these wonderful ladies in more detail below!
UPDATE: We have great news all around! The 2015 Annual Research Questionnaire has been a booming success, and due to input from many of you, we are extending the deadline until May 29, 2015. That's this Friday! Start your questionnaire, or finish the one you've already started and make sure your school is counted. At present, more than 1,000 people have participated. Help us raise that number even higher!
Originally published April 30, 2015
The 2013-14 Annual Research Questionnaire of Independent School Health Services was the first of its kind, and it allowed independent schools to see how they measure up to other schools similar to their own. We heard from near and far that this research was invaluable, so we're doing it again. The 2015 Research Questionnaire is open and we're encouraging all independent schools to participate.
Created with health staff, for health staff, this questionnaire aims to connect the dots between what is desired and what is lacking. In order to do that, we need the participation of as many schools as possible. The questionnaire is designed to collect school-wide data, therefore only one submission per school is recommended.
Over the next three weeks, the questionnaire will be open to all independent school health professionals. By participating, not only are you contributing to groundbreaking research, you are developing much demanded benchmarks. In addition, you're helping create a nationwide community, to which comparison data and results are available annually. Completing the 30 minute questionnaire (60 multiple choice questions) provides you the opportunity to share your perspective and contribute to the 2015 Annual Report of Independent School Health Services.
Now, if you're saying to yourself, "But why, Kathryn? Why should I do this questionnaire?" I'll give you five good reasons right now.
I am honored and excited to join the Magnus Health team as the new Chief Executive Officer, and I would also like to introduce you to Snow Roberts, our new Chief Operating Officer. We plan to continue the Magnus mission of better student care and look forward to getting to know our clients, partners, and the community. Below are brief summaries of our backgrounds, and we both hope to see you at the Independent School Health Conference this summer!
You might have heard of a little thing called the Independent School Health Conference. We're pretty excited about it, and to add to that excitement, we're happy to announce the ISHC 2015 headlining keynote speaker is Miguel G. Marshall, M.A., Ed.D.! Miguel has long been immersed in the independent school environment, and along with his brand new research, he brings insight from his own experiences as a student and employee of independent schools.
Imagine my delight when I sat down to read the May/June 2015 issue of Net Assets, and I came upon an article, "Exercising Their Options" which features none other than one of our beloved clients, Providence Day School. The article focuses on how independent schools are increasing the opportunity to exercise, and the different ways students can exercise during the school day. Compared to students in past decades, today's children have less strength and balance and underdeveloped motor skills, so these new opportunities are very important.
Providence Day School is combating these issues with high-tech devices like bluetooth-enabled monitors, as well as low-tech exercises like rope and rock climbing. They've also created an inside and outside facility for the transitional kindergarten students with items that are designed to stimulate imagination. For instance, outside the kids play with bamboo, ropes, and fabric, and inside they can find yarn, blocks, instruments, and paint. The idea behind all of it is to engage students in the varying levels of exercise that will force them to develop their physical fitness and motor skills.
Protecting the environment isn't just for conservationists anymore. Now that information about global climate change is readily available to us all, it's easy for each person to get involved and go green. It's so easy that I'm challenging students and schools to be at the center of green efforts. The reason is simple: Students hold the key to the future of our environment, and schools hold the...
Today marks the end of National Nurses Week, but if Mother's Day taught us anything this year, it's that you can continue to thank those near and dear to you, even after the official holiday ends. So, in the spirit of continuing our grattitude, and helping others express theirs, here are four pictures you can send to any nurse, to say thank you. Conveniently, they're created at the perfect size for Facebook, too. Send them, print them, post them, do whatever feels right, but don't miss the opportunity to tell your school nurse, or the nurses in hospitals, clinics, and physicians offices THANK YOU.
Magnus users, I'll be short and sweet. With a simple click of the button, and a process no different than in days past, you can upload and combine multiple health forms for a student's requirement. Plus, you get to preview the final document before attaching it to the requirement. Check out the shots below and see for yourself.
Just last week I was trying to purchase online tickets to a concert. I was moments away from having the digital tickets in my metaphorical hands when I was stopped by a blurry and confusing captcha. A captchas, or "the most frustrating combinations of letters and numbers known to man" is the little box of text that you're asked to type out to confirm you are indeed a human. As wonderful as a captcha is for determining whether an internet user is actually human or not, it can truthfully be quite annoying.
Why do I get so annoyed by captchas? Most likely because I know that I'm not a robot, but yet it takes me three or four tries to convince my own computer that I'm not a robot. Trying to decipher a random, warped, set of letters and numbers is the last thing I want to be doing when I'm in the middle of an important task, and I know I'm not alone.
That's why I'm happy to unveil Magnus Health's new user login process! As of today, if you forget your username or password, you no longer have to answer a difficult captcha in order to retrieve it. Instead, all you have to do is check off a box that says you're not a robot (which I'm trusting you aren't...). Read on for more details, plus learn about the other updates we made to the SMR user login page.
How many, and what types of teams should be in a school's emergency plan? Well, as with so many things, the answer varies because every school population and community is a bit different. However, Chris Joffe of Joffe Emergency Services outlined a list of teams that every school should have in place.
Today kicks off National Nurse Week, and today is National School Nurse Day. On behalf of everyone here at Magnus, I'd like to say THANK YOU to every school nurse. We applaud your work, dedication, and selfless commitment to your students. We encourage everyone - administration, teachers, staff, parents, and students - to take a moment and express your gratitude. School nurses aren't the highest paid, most recognized group of people, and recognition goes a long way. Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking.
The 2013-14 Annual Research Questionnaire of Independent School Health Services was the first of its kind, and it allowed independent schools to see how they measure up to other schools similar to their own. We heard from near and far that this research was invaluable, so we're doing it again. The 2015 Research Questionnaire is open and we're encouraging all independent schools to participate.
Created with health staff, for health staff, this questionnaire aims to connect the dots between what is desired and what is lacking. In order to do that, we need the participation of as many schools as possible. The questionnaire is designed to collect school-wide data, therefore only one submission per school is recommended.
Over the next three weeks, the questionnaire will be open to all independent school health professionals. By participating, not only are you contributing to groundbreaking research, you are developing much demanded benchmarks. In addition, you're helping create a nationwide community, to which comparison data and results are available annually. Completing the 30 minute questionnaire (60 multiple choice questions) provides you the opportunity to share your perspective and contribute to the 2015 Annual Report of Independent School Health Services.
Now, if you're saying to yourself, "But why, Kathryn? Why should I do this questionnaire?" I'll give you five good reasons right now.
Being outdoors is one of my favorite ways to spend a block of free time. When I'm feeling extra stressed out or bogged down by a long day, it's as if the sun always knows how to relieve my worries. It really is a magical thing.
But I'm not just a crazy sunshine addict. The science is real, and it says that spending time outside really does make you happier, no matter how much you actually love being in nature.
Don't believe me? We're about to take a look at a few facts that prove you should be spending more time outside.