June
25, 2003
(Little
Rock) --
A statewide partnership between the
Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Department of
Education is being recognized at the national level.
Dr. Fay Boozman has been asked to speak at the National
Association of School Nurses Conference about an
initiative—Nurses Connecting Health and Education--funded by
tobacco settlement monies and designed to address needs of
youth and families through community collaboratives and school
partnerships that support the role of the school nurse.
The project placed sixteen Community
Health Nurse Specialists (CHNS) in each of the regional
educational cooperatives and one nurse at the state department
of education. School
nurses understand the needs of youth and their families but
are often unable to spend time obtaining educational materials
or accessing resources. With
the assistance of the CHNS, school nurses connect youth and
families to resources within their community.
The CHNS do not replace school nurses but rather
enhance their ability to provide for the health needs of
students by identifying local or regional resources, improving
access to research-based educational programs, and supporting
the school nurse within the school setting.
Dr. Boozman said, “I am delighted to
be representing Arkansas at a national forum that will allow
the country to see Arkansas partnering at its finest.
Many communities have coalitions seeking to address the
health needs of youth and families.
School nurses do not always have the time to
participate in numerous coalitions. The CHNS act as a liaison between schools, communities and
coalitions to help the school nurse meet the needs of
students.”
Boozman will be speaking at the 35th
annual National Association of School Nurses Conference in
Cincinnati, Ohio on June 30.
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