Every student and staff member within the Columbia School District will soon have high-quality medical care available to them at school free of charge through a telehealth partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
When a student or staff member visits the school nurse, the nurse (with permission) can immediately video call a UMMC provider, who can examine the student and prescribe treatment on the spot. With the partnership, the school district will also receive machines that can take the patient’s temperature, heart rate and more, which will be transmitted to the provider in real time.
“We’re very excited. It’s been a lengthy process going through all the technology things, but we’re hoping we can get this started in January,” Columbia Superintendent Jason Harris said.
One of the most difficult aspects of caring for a sick child as a parent is being able to get them to a doctor, whether it’s through difficulty getting an immediate appointment or being able to make time during the work day. This program will afford parents of students within the Columbia School District the peace of mind of knowing their child has been evaluated by a doctor and will already have a treatment plan in place for minor illnesses.
“For things like asthma, allergies, colds, flu, you’re basically getting immediate feedback,” Harris said.
Beyond the common illnesses, the program will also treat students and faculty with mental or emotional health needs, such as anxiety, depression or behavioral difficulties.
During Harris’ annual evaluation at the end of last school year with Columbia School Board of Trustees, he brought up the program as something he believed would be extremely beneficial for the students, teachers and administration alike. It has been in the works since June.
Harris said the Columbia School District will be one of 13 in the state who has this partnership with UMMC, and he believes more and more will soon sign on.
“We’re part of the initial band, and once it goes through, I think you’ll see more people get on board. We’re very excited,” he said. “It’s pretty much a no-brainer. It’s free — you can’t beat it.”
To learn more about the telehealth program, parents can visit umc.edu/k12.
