/Healthy children learn better’ UMMC clinics bring health care to Jackson, Delta schools

Healthy children learn better’ UMMC clinics bring health care to Jackson, Delta schools

Nonprofit Mississippi News Anne Norwood, a family nurse practitioner, took a third-grader’s head and held it in her hands during a routine exam Thursday morning. She joked with him about his grey hair. Jashon Jones, a giddy student at Johnson Elementary School in Jackson, said that it was his lucky spot. Jones visited the school’s clinic to receive a wellness exam. This is something that all students can get thanks to the partnership between the University of Mississippi, School of Nursing and the Jackson Public School district. Access to medical care is available for all 425 students at Johnson Elementary. UMMC has clinics in Jackson’s Johnson and Galloway elementary school, as well as in four South Delta schools. These clinics are funded by Mississippi Department of Education via the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell Mary Sprayberry Public School Nurse Act. Similar programs are also funded in other districts throughout the state. UMMC received $127,000.50 from MDE last year for clinics in South Delta and Jackson school districts. Part time nurses are employed at Johnson and Galloway Clinics. Each clinic also has a patient care coordinator. Multi-source funding is also available for another clinic at Lanier High School. Officials from both the district and UMMC say that the programs improve attendance and reduce the burden on parents to get their child to a doctor. Usually, students who become ill at school are sent home and parents must arrange to see a doctor. All students at Johnson have the option to walk into the clinic and receive medical treatment. The nurses can send a prescription online to students who need medication. Parents can also pick up the prescription at their local pharmacy. Norwood stated that the clinic’s goal was to keep students in school and their parents at work. Norwood stated that the clinic sees between 10 and 15 patients per day. These illnesses can range from the common cold and strep throat to more severe asthma attacks and other problems. The clinic will refer a child to a UMMC specialist, hospital or any other provider of health care if the injury or illness is severe. Faith Strong, Johnson Elementary principal, stated that in addition to increasing attendance, nurses keep teachers informed about students’ chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma. They also provide training on what to do in case of a seizure, or other medical emergencies in the classroom. Elementary students also benefit from the clinic’s educational aspect. A doll called “Organ Andy”, stuffed with plush organs, rests on a table for children. Here nurses can interact with the children and take out parts of their bodies to show what is wrong. The clinic is similar to a regular doctor’s, with two examination rooms covered with informational posters about the body. Walls are filled with pamphlets. Norwood keeps “the ear collection”, a box that she has named her office, filled with tubes containing curious items found in students’ ears. These include earrings, pencil lead, bits of pencil lead, and crumpled pieces of tinfoil. The clinic’s main purpose is to provide medical care for students. However, the clinic also offers an opportunity for UMMC students to learn. Norwood is also a professor in nursing at UMMC. He taught second-year medical students Tori Wilson (left) and Haley Hobart (right) how to perform the Well-child Check – a general examination – on Johnson. They took turns looking into Johnson’s ears and checking his eyes with an Otoscope. Then they practiced small talk in the doctor’s office. Norwood, who is not a stranger to this, joked with Johnson about his breakfast (a brown sugar pop tart) and what he hopes to become as a professional football player when he grows older. Wilson explained that medical students can use powerpoint presentations to help them translate the information they have learned into practical life by visiting the clinic and getting to know the young patients. Wilson stated, “This is where you get to work and learn, as well as see how what we’re learning in class applies to the clinic, such as prescriptions, patient interactions and physical assessments. The Junior League of Jackson provides hygiene kits that include toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and a towel for students who visit the clinic. Clean clothing is also available to students who require it. Norwood stated that students have access to a variety of snacks, including juice and goldfish crackers. Norwood stated that children who aren’t well-nourished won’t be able to learn. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect corrections. An earlier version incorrectly identified Principal Faith Strong as Faith Ford. Jashon Jones is being examined by an otoscope, not an orthoscope, according to our previous version.