DUBOIS, Pa. (EYT) — Penn Highlands Healthcare has announced a new partnership with Brockway Area School District to offer virtual doctor visits for students through a program called MySchoolHealthNow.
According to a news release from Penn Highlands Healthcare, the program allows school nurses to connect with a Penn Highlands physician via high-definition telemedicine video and communications equipment to evaluate a child’s condition. The service is designed to make healthcare for children more convenient and accessible for parents, avoiding the need for them to leave work for minor illnesses or injuries.
“This is a great new service that makes healthcare for children more convenient and accessible,” said Trina Abla, DO, Chief Medical Officer at Penn Highlands Healthcare. “Plus, this new program helps avoid delays in treatment and promotes enhanced learning by decreasing absenteeism.”
All students in the Brockway Area School District are eligible to enroll in the school-based telemedicine program.
When a child who is enrolled in the program becomes ill or injured, the school nurse evaluates the student in person. If further evaluation is necessary, the nurse contacts the parent or guardian to obtain verbal consent to proceed with the telemedicine visit. Parents or guardians are also invited to participate in the video visit.
During the physician’s evaluation, the school nurse assists through the use of special equipment, such as a digital stethoscope and high-definition cameras to examine the ears, throat, rash, or abrasions.
In addition to virtual doctor visits, the MySchoolHealthNow program offers virtual behavioral health visits during the school day. Students working with one of the health system’s psychiatrists can see and talk to their psychiatrist without leaving school.
The program is designed to avoid delays in treatment and promotes enhanced learning by decreasing absenteeism, said the release.
A record of the child’s visit is kept on file in their medical record at Penn Highlands Healthcare for future reference.
Penn Highlands Healthcare plans to expand the MySchoolHealthNow program to other districts in the future.
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