2011 Archive

Student Shot Clinic Goes High-Tech

Details

Created on Friday, 25 March 2011 10:25

http://tribstar.com/local/x1623043545/Student-shot-clinic-goes-high-tech

Video link over Internet used between school, clinic

Howard Greninger The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Holding a medical file, Carol Lucas stood next to a television screen with a computer camera hook-up, explaining that a student previously had chicken pox.

"Varicella won't be needed, but the rest looks good, go ahead and give a shot," said Dr. Randy Stevens in reply.

Stevens was standing in the Family Practice Center at Union Hospital, while Lucas was standing on a stage at Terre Haute North Vigo High School, where a medical clinic from the Vigo County School Corp. was underway Thursday.

Lucas is chairwoman of health and nursing services for the school corporation. The two communicated through a computer link from equipment from the Richard Lugar Center for Rural Health.

"The advantage is we are able to stay in our own clinic and still help out," Stevens said via the visual link. "This is strictly for vaccinations in this instance, but it saves having a provider be on sight and allows guidance to be given to nurses on site," he said.

It is the first time such a link has been used for a school clinic, Lucas said.

"Dr. Stevens wanted to try this as it adds an opportunity for physicians to be a part of the clinic. This will help us in future endeavors and we have this technology," Lucas said.

This academic year, the state has required students in grades six through 12 to have three vaccinations: varicella (chickenpox), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) and meningococcal (meningitis). The intent is to protect them from meningitis, chicken pox and whooping cough.

As of Wednesday, 316 students at Terre Haute South Vigo High School still needed to be vaccinated, Lucas said, while about 700 students at Terre Haute North Vigo High School needed vaccinations. Lucas said many parents of students were bringing in medical records to show students had received the vaccinations.

The number is down sharply from about 3,000 students that had not yet been vaccinated as of January.

Nurses and nurse practitioners, plus other medical volunteers, were on site at the clinic.

"We are looking to see if they are up to date on immunizations and looking to make sure that they are healthy at the current time with no illnesses going on," said Tammy Pearson, a family nurse practitioner as well as a member of the Vigo County School Board.

"If they have had chicken pox, the disease, then we don't have to give them the varicella vaccine. If they have had a tetanus shot in the last year, we have to make sure that they have had the pertussis part in it to cover the whooping cough," Pearson said, who has previously volunteered at clinics at West Vigo High School and Terre Haute South Vigo High School.

Ray Azar, director of student services for the school corporation, said Thursday's clinic was the last clinic the school corporation would sponsor.

"We made this available to South High School students as well as any of the other middle or high schools that have had clinics. This allows people to get in for those who missed previous clinics for one reason or another," Azar said.

The clinic was heavily attended early Wednesday morning, Azar said. More than 100 students were waiting for shots by late morning, around 11 a.m. "Some of the workers got here before 7 a.m. [Thursday] and it has been a real good effort," Azar said.

"I am just really impressed that we are able to connect with the Family Practice Center for additional medical consultation through a computer link. It's a great idea," Azar said.