SMF School District contracts with Akron Children’s Hospital for School Nursing

 

On Aug. 20, the Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education approved a two-year contract with Akron Children’s Hospital for school nursing services.

“As the leader in pediatric care in our area, we believe that we are uniquely positioned to provide the highest quality health care available to the students of the Stow-Munroe Falls district,” said Director of School Health Services Karen Mascolo, MSN, RN.

Akron Children’s Hospital will provide one registered nurse at Lakeview and medical assistants at the district’s eight other schools and Holy Family. A Supervisory RN will serve as a “floater” within the district.

“The RN floater is not assigned to a specific building, but is free to move where the need is,” said Mascolo. “She can meet with parents, assist with IEPs for students with special needs.”

Mascolo, a resident of Stow and the parent of a SMFHS graduate, said she has a personal interest in supporting the students of this district. “Their safety and health is our first concern.”

Children’s will also provide the family life education for fifth-graders and vision/hearing screening district-wide, in addition to daily coverage in the school clinics. “All of Children’s resources will be available to the district,” said Mascolo, including guest speakers, materials and additional support.

“The school nurses do more than hand out band-aids,” said Mascolo. “They dispense medicine, do lice checks and administer asthma treatments. The clinic is a safe haven for students - not just for their physical ailments, but also for their psycho-social needs.”

PSI Affiliates previously served as school health service provider until the contract expired in June. Last May, the district advertised for bids for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years. The cost for the first year of the contract with Akron Children’s Hospital is $189,002. The cost must not increase more than 3 percent in the second year.

Children’s also has school nursing contracts with five local districts: Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Copley and Woodridge.


 

Page posted 8/22/2007