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Clinic

Clinic Information

SHS General Information

The Student Health Services (SHS) Team delivers health services and programs through a team approach utilizing the Registered Nurses and Clinic Assistants in the clinics and School-Based Health Centers. Our Registered Nurses and Clinic Assistants work together to provide care for students and to serve as a resource for all health-related issues. SHS believes optimal learning requires good health. Research shows there is a clear connection between school nursing services and student academic success.

Healthy Children…Learn Better!

Health Services Information

The school should be informed if your child has a medical condition or chronic illness, requires assistance with medication, or for any medical procedure or treatment.

When possible, medication should be taken at home, including all non-essential medications such as vitamins, herbals, essential oils, and narcotic pain medications. However, if medication must be taken at school, on a field trip or during a “before or after” school chaperoned activity, parents must provide all medications (prescribed and over-the counter) in accordance with Fulton County Schools Medication Administration Policy and Guidelines.

 

The parent/legal guardian must complete an authorization and instruction form entitled “AUTHORIZATION TO GIVE MEDICATION AT SCHOOL SHS-1 Form”. For all prescription medications, a healthcare provider must also sign the form. The school cannot give medications without the authorization form. The same form is used for prescription and non-prescription medications. Medication Authorization Forms are valid for one/current school year. A separate form MUST be used for each medication.

 

If your child has a medical condition such as asthma, a severe allergy or another health-related condition that requires self-administration of medication, or needs to carry an emergency medication (Epipen, Diastat, Inhaler, Glucagon, etc.), or has an approved legitimate reason to carry a medication on his/her person, you must complete and submit to the school clinic an "Authorization for Students to Carry Medication SHS-2 Form". This form must be signed by the healthcare provider, parent and student.

 

Over the Counter (OTC) medications have different requirements. 

Per FCBOE Guidelines, High school students may carry over the counter medications in the following categories with them during the school day, field trips or other school-related activities. ALL MEDICATIONS MUST BE IN THEIR ORIGINAL CONTAINER and strictly not permitted to share with peers. 

  • Acetaminophen
  • Antacids
  • Aspirin
  • Cough or throat lozenges
  • Ibuprofen
  • Midol
  • Oral antihistamines

 

Please read over the FCBOE Medication Guidelines document for policy and procedure with regard to medication administration and storage for all over the counter medications, prescription medications and rescue medications.

 

It is the parent or legal guardian’s responsibility to keep the student’s health and contact information (telephone numbers, address, etc.) updated.

By working together, we can strive to ensure the health and well-being of every student so that he/she can benefit from the education program.

 

If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment to discuss your student's health care needs, please contact the clinic assistant.

Contact Info

Clinic Assistant: Sanjeevee Rathnabandara ( Chapa)

Email: rathnabandas@fultonschools.org

Phone: 470-254-4189

Fax:470-254-2844

 

Cluster Nurse: Jayna Brosmer, RN

Email: Brosmer@fultonschools.org

Phone: 404-625-6171

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Dear Parent/Legal Guardian:

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! The Fulton County Schools’ Department of District Health Services has developed this letter to share important

health-related information and policies. In collaboration with our schools, District Health Services works to ensure students stay healthy, safe, and ready

to learn. Our team of licensed Registered School Nurses (Cluster School Nurses and Special Education Nurses) and Clinic Assistants provides health

services at each school and serves as the key resource for all health-related matters to enhance the performance of all students. This letter will explain some

of our health services policies, procedures, and guidelines. To be successful, we need your assistance and cooperation in preparing for the possibility that

your child may become ill, sustain an injury during school, need assistance with a medical condition or procedure, or require medication administration.

Working together is critical so that we can provide the best care for your student(s).

EMERGENCY INFORMATION / HEALTH CONDITIONS / CHRONIC ILLNESSES / HEALTHCARE PLANS

Enrollment in Fulton County Schools requires up-to-date contact and health information. Please list your best contact information (e.g., cell phone) and

include relatives or friends as emergency contacts for your child in case you cannot be reached. Keeping health information current is essential for the school

to contact you in an emergency, accident, or illness. It is the parent or legal guardian’s responsibility to keep the student’s health and contact information (e.g.,

telephone numbers, address, care plans) updated. Inform the school if your child has a medical condition or chronic illness, or if they require assistance for

any medical procedure or treatment. Healthcare Plans and the appropriate district Authorization Medication Forms (SHS-1 / SHS-2) are required for chronic

illnesses and other conditions that necessitate care at school (e.g., diabetes, asthma, severe allergies, seizure disorder).

Additionally, notify the school if your child takes daily medications, has a severe allergy, or has a disability that requires a special diet. For special diet

requests, please contact School Nutrition at 470-254-8960. If your child rides the bus and carries any emergency medications (e.g., inhaler, epinephrine,

Diastat) or has serious health conditions that the bus driver should be aware of (e.g., diabetes, seizure disorder, asthma, allergies), please notify Transportation

Services. You can contact North Transportation Services at 470-254-2970, and South Transportation Services at 470-254-6060.

Per new Georgia Law HB 1183, schools must provide certain information to parents and guardians of students in grades six through twelve on Type 1 and

Type 2 diabetes. This information will be shared with parents and guardians when received from the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia

Department of Health.

Parents and guardians should bring and give all medications and medical supplies directly to school personnel, not to the bus driver. For any extenuating

circumstances, please contact the school clinic to make other arrangements.

STUDENT ILLNESS / INJURY

Students who exhibit symptoms such as a fever of 100.4°F or greater, diarrhea, vomiting, or any potential or actual contagious illness (including

rashes) MUST NOT be sent to school and will not be permitted to remain at school. To return to school, a student should have improved symptoms and

be free of fever for more than 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications (such as acetaminophen/Tylenol or ibuprofen/Advil/Motrin).

Additionally, the student must be free from diarrhea and vomiting for at least 24 hours. In some cases, students may be required to obtain clearance from a

healthcare provider before returning to school. A note from the healthcare provider must be provided for students diagnosed with a contagious illness,

respiratory illnesses, chronic diarrhea, or recurrent fever. If a student becomes ill at school, has a fever, or exhibits a potentially contagious or communicable

illness, the parent or legal guardian will be notified to pick up their child immediately. The parent or legal guardian MUST ARRANGE for the student to be

taken home. The school may request a note from a healthcare provider before the child can return to school. In the event of a serious accident, illness, or

emergency at school, 911 will be called, and your child may be transported by ambulance to an emergency medical facility if deemed necessary by

EMS. The parent or legal guardian is responsible for all expenses related to such transportation.

MEDICATIONS

When possible, medication should be taken at home, including all non-essential medications such as vitamins, herbals, essential oils, and prescribed

pain medications. However, if medication must be taken at school, on a field trip, or during a “before or after” school-chaperoned activity, parents

must provide all medications (both prescribed and over-the-counter). The following policies and procedures apply (Note: Fulton County Schools

reserves the right to decline administration of non-essential medications): Medications must be listed individually on the appropriate required

district Authorization Form, and it is the parent or legal guardian’s responsibility to send the appropriate form to the school.

1. Authorization for Medication Form The parent/legal guardian must complete an authorization and instruction form titled

“AUTHORIZATION TO GIVE MEDICATION AT SCHOOL SHS-1 Form.” For all prescription medications, a healthcare provider

must also sign the form. A faxed copy of the form from your doctor’s office that also contains the parent/legal guardian’s signature is

acceptable. For your convenience, all schools have copies of the form on-site, or you can access the Student Health Services website. The

school cannot give medications without the authorization form. The same form is used for prescription and non-prescription

medications. Medication Authorization Forms are only valid for one/current school year. A separate form MUST be used for each

medication.

2. The medication and the authorization form must be taken to the school clinic/office by the parent/legal guardian. However, if this is not

possible, the student should be instructed to take the medication and the authorization form directly to the school office/clinic upon arrival at

school. Please instruct your child that under no circumstances should medication be shown to or shared with another student.

3. Parents/legal guardians are required to bring controlled substance medications to the school. Medications that are considered controlled

substances by the State of Georgia (which include medications for ADD/ADHD, prescribed pain medications, and psychotropic medications)

must be appropriately stored in the school clinic.

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DISTRICT HEALTH SERVICES

LYNNE P. MEADOWS, MSN, BSN, RN, FNASN

DIRECTOR, DISTRICT HEALTH SERVICES

6201 Powers Ferry Road, NW

Atlanta, GA 30339

Phone: 470-254-2177 / Fax: 470-254-2172

2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR

HEALTH SERVICES INFORMATION2024-2025 School Year Health Services Information Letter July 2024

NOTE: In High Schools, the Authorization for Medication Form must also be used when supervision, storage, or administration by

the school is required. We encourage all medications to be kept in the clinic unless it is an approved emergency medication or over-

the-counter medication, and the student has permission to carry the medication on his/her person during school hours (See paragraph

below on “Authorization for Students to Carry Approved Emergency Medication or Other Approved Medication”).

4. Only medication in its ORIGINAL container from the store or pharmacy is accepted. Non-prescription medications in small-sized containers are

preferred due to limited storage space. Both prescription and non-prescription medications sent to the school must have current labeling on the

container. Medication in containers that have expired labeling will not be given to the student. The medication in the container must MATCH

the label. The label must MATCH the student and the instructions on the authorization form. The prescription label on the container

must be CURRENT. A new prescription container with correct labeling is required for any dosage change. The school cannot alter dosages

without a new authorization form from you and/or your doctor/healthcare provider. At the designated time, the student will go to the clinic

to take the medication. Assistance/supervision by the school clinic personnel will be given following the instructions on the authorization form.

Medication is a parental responsibility. Fulton County School System employees will not assume any liability for supervising or

administering medication. Fulton County School System retains the privilege of refusing to supervise/assist in administering medication,

except where otherwise required by law.

5. Discontinued medication should be retrieved from the school office/clinic within one week after the medication is discontinued and any unused

medication should be picked up by the end of the school year. Any discontinued, unused, or expired medication left in the clinic at the end of the

school year will be discarded.

AUTHORIZATION FOR STUDENTS TO CARRY A PRESCRIPTION INHALER, EpiPen, INSULIN, OR OTHER APPROVED MEDICATION SHS-2

FORM

If you have a child who has asthma, a severe allergy, or another health-related condition that requires self-administration of medication, or who needs to carry

an emergency medication (epinephrine, Diastat, inhaler, Glucagon, etc.), or if a student has an approved legitimate reason to carry medication on his/her

person, you must complete and submit an Authorization for Students to Carry a Prescription Inhaler, Epinephrine, Insulin, or Other Approved

Medication SHS-2 Form. Fulton County Schools retains the privilege of refusing certain medications to be carried, except where otherwise required by law.

You may obtain a form from your child’s school. This form requires a physician, parent/legal guardian, and student signature if the medication is a prescription

medication. Parents are strongly encouraged to keep a “backup” supply of emergency medications such as an inhaler, epinephrine, Diastat, diabetes

medication, etc. in the school clinic. For further instructions, please call or visit your school clinic. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications have different

requirements. Elementary school students must store all OTC medications in the clinic and will only be administered with parental permission (SHS-1

Form); Middle school students may carry Fulton County Schools approved medications with them during the school day, on field trips, or during other

school-related activities if parental permission is provided in advance on the district approved form (SHS-2 Form). High school students may carry approved

medications with them during the school day, on field trips, or in other school-related activities and no form is necessary. Fulton County Schools approved

medications include acetaminophen, antacids, aspirin, cough or throat lozenges, ibuprofen, Midol, and oral antihistamines (Please note – these

medications must be in the original container and not expired).

IMMUNIZATIONS

For enrollment in Fulton County Schools, Form 3231/Certificate of Immunization must be marked “Complete for Attendance” or must have an expiration

date in the future. Expired certificates will not be accepted. Effective July 1, 2021, all students entering or transferring into the 11th grade will need proof of

a meningococcal booster (MCV4), unless their first dose was received on or after their 16th birthday. We encourage you not to wait to have your student

vaccinated. Georgia law allows for only two types of exemptions from immunization requirements: medical and religious. Every child must have one of the

following items on file: either a valid Georgia Immunization Certificate (Form 3231) or a signed, notarized Department of Public Health Form 2208 – Affidavit

of Religious Objection to Immunization. Please contact your healthcare provider or local health department if you have questions. A detailed description of the

immunization schedule can be found at http://dph.georgia.gov/immunization-section and also found on the Fulton County Schools website at

www.fultonschools.org. The parent/legal guardian is responsible for securing and maintaining a copy of the mandated Form 3231 Immunization

Form, and Form 3300 – Vision, Hearing, Dental and Nutritional Screening. Students who are not compliant with Georgia’s immunization requirements

will be excluded from school until the appropriate updated certificate/form is submitted as specified by law.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

In the event of an emergency, we want to ensure we are prepared to appropriately care for your child if we need to “shelter-in-place” or stay at school for an

extended period. This precaution helps keep our students and staff healthy and safe during emergencies. If your child requires any medication, especially

emergency medications, or if your child requires a special medical procedure, please alert the school clinic so we can plan accordingly. This includes any

medication scheduled to be taken during school hours or not. We need to ensure we have an adequate supply of any emergency and/or required daily

medications that your child may need if we must shelter-in-place. Should the decision be made to shelter-in-place, information will be provided to you by your

child’s school, the district, and local authorities. For more information about emergency preparedness, visit Ready.gov.

STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Student Accident Insurance can be purchased through K & K Insurance Group, Inc. This insurance provides protection against medical expenses resulting

from accidental injury to all students during school, school-sponsored events, and athletic activities. For those who have other insurance, this program will

help cover deductibles and co-insurance. For those without insurance, this coverage provides needed benefits at a reasonable cost. For more information,

contact the Risk Management Department at 470-254-0422 or K & K Insurance Group, Inc. at 855-742-3135.

If you need this document or information in a different language, please send an email to districtlanguageassistance@fultonschools.org or call 470-254-6827.

By working together, we can ensure the health and well-being of students, so they fully benefit from the learning environment. Should you have any questions

or need additional information, please contact your Cluster School Nurse, Special Education Nurse, school Clinic Assistant, or call the Department of District

Health Services at 470-254-2177.

Thank you.