MASBHC

Maryland Assembly on School-Based Health Care

Maryland 2016 Healthy Kids Preventative Health Schedule

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The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently released the updated schedule on the Healthy Kids Preventative Health Schedule which took effect in January. All of the new requirements align with the standard of care recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Here are some updates to be aware of. DHMH will require:

  • Vision and hearing assessment at well child exams at ages 3 years, 8 years, and 1o years old
  • Annual depression screenings beginning at age 11
  • STI’s risk assessments will begin at age 11 instead of the previous age of 12
  • Substance abuse  risk assessments will begin at age 11 instead of the previous age of 12

For the full list of new requirements click here. 

Maryland School Wellness Champions Workshop

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Action for Healthy Kids_1

You’re Invited!! Please join Maryland Action for Healthy Kids and the Maryland State Department of Education for this fantastic event!

Maryland: Building MD School Wellness Champions Workshop

Thursday, November 12, 2015 8:00AM – 12:00PM

Maryland State Department of Education

200 W. Baltimore Street

Baltimore, MD

Please join the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and Maryland Action for Healthy Kids (MD AFHK) for the Building Maryland School Wellness Champions Workshop! This free, comprehensive workshop will focus on building sustainable and successful school wellness teams. We’ll provide the tools, resources, and planning time needed to create new or energize existing School Wellness Teams that align with both state and federal requirements.

School Wellness Team members or representatives within the Maryland school systems are invited to attend; Including school principals, staff, administration, parents, food service, county health departments, and community members. Schools are encouraged to bring at least two members of their current or past wellness team.

A light snack will be provided. Space is limited! Registration closes on October 30th, 2015.

Register HERE

KIPP Baltimore

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KIPP Baltimore: The Ruth and Norman Rales Center for the Integration of Health and Education

og-profileSchool Based Health Centers are a change agent for students all across the county. Students that attend schools with an SBHC have increased access to and use of primary care services, have better attendance and lower rates of disciplinary problems. Starting this school year, students at two KIPP Baltimore Schools (Harmony Academy and Ujima Village Academy) will have access to a new and innovative SBHC model. They will be the first schools to pilot the Rales Educational and Health Advancement of Youth program (READY).

READY is a new pilot that will launch this year by the Johns Hopkins Ruth and Norman Rales Center for the Integration of Health and Education. The Rales Health Center is the school-based health center co-located within Harmony Academy and Ujima Village Academy that is part of the READY program. The overarching goal of the READY program is to unite health care providers, teachers and parents, all to benefit children. A unique piece of the Rales Center model is that it will operate both traditional school health services as well as the School Based Health Center at the site. Collectively, the two participating KIPP schools enroll more than 1,500 predominantly African American students in grades K-8 living in under served communities.

The READY Program takes on a population approach which may differ from the traditional SBHC model in which services are based on enrollment and students having to seek out services. Traditional SBHC programs often have little capacity to seek out and follow those children most in need of health services. Staffing constraints limit their ability to provide a stable source of primary care. READY, by contrast, fully integrates health into the school environment, curriculum and activities that engage students on a daily basis and also has the resources to have a more robust staff.

The READY program will provide a full service health and wellness program. This health center will be staffed by a physician, nurse practitioner, school nurses and a medical assistant. Health center services will include:

  • Routine assessment of students’ health and developmental progress
  • Screening for behavioral problems
  • Monitor children with chronic conditions and teach them to self-manage symptoms of asthma or diabetes, for example
  • Prescription medication delivery to the school for patients in the health center
  • Future implementation of individual and group mental health counseling.
  • Nutrition education including incorporating healthy and appealing foods into school and home menus and encouraging healthy eating.

The READY model will bring health to the students in the form of health and wellness curricula, increased physical activity opportunities and other health campaigns; including dental and vision screenings and services and preventative mental health services. The READY program will also provide professional development to teachers and staff on health issues. Teachers and staff wellness will include stress reduction, yoga, and mindfulness.

A parent advisory group has been instrumental in the design of the READY program. The program will also include parent education on health issues and stress reduction activities. In order to engage parents and families, the plan includes parent – teacher conferences with an individualized student health review, led by a health center professional who knows the student. Student families will have access to a “parent liaison” in the school that will conduct home visits and will be responsible for connecting families with supportive community resources such as adult health programs, mental health services, pharmacies, community athletic facilities and healthy cooking classes.

In preparation for the first year of the READY program, the health center underwent major renovation and expansion. The READY program is made possible by strong partnership with the schools, the parent advisory group, and generous funders.

Maryland Assembly on
School-Based Health Care

PO Box 716
Baltimore, MD 21203
[email protected]


education + health = success