A MDPH Message from Karen Robitaille: 
Greetings from the School Health Unit,
I want to thank every nurse that has emailed or called since students returned to school with concerns, questions, and suggestions. I read every email (and try to respond!), listen to every voicemail and return every call. Your voices have informed decision makers and have absolutely made a difference for the students and families you serve. As we continue to struggle through balancing safety with the schools’ mission to educate students and serve as a societal safety net for some of our most vulnerable residents, your experience on the ground is an invaluable resource. Please keep communicating, and I will do the same.
I do have some exciting news to share, as we continue to make good use of the Workforce funding MDPH received on behalf of school health. First, I am pleased to announce that Janet Guertin-Moruzzi will start in mid-February with the School Health Unit as our Public Health Nursing Advisor I to non-public schools. We look forward to developing this position and strengthening relationships with non-public schools and the associations and agencies that serve them. A bit more about Janet:
Janet Guertin-Moruzzi MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN holds a professional DESE School Nurse license and National School Nurse Certification (NCSN). Ms. Guertin-Moruzzi comes to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health School (MDPH) School Health Unit with extensive experience in both public and private school settings as well as community health settings. Janet is a member of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), the Massachusetts School Nurse Organization (MSNO), the Massachusetts Public Health Nurse Association (MAPHN) and the Region 4A Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). She served as the Director of School Health Services at Nashoba Brooks School and the Co-chair of the Independent School Nurse Group (ISNG) for 6 years supporting non-public schools. Throughout the pandemic, Janet supported her local board of health through COVID testing, contact tracing, and vaccination clinics on evenings and weekends. In her most recent role as the Central Region School Nurse Consultant, Janet supported 70+ school districts providing a link critical between the MDPH Health Services Unit and public, private, independent, charter schools, collaborative, and Chapter 766 special education approved schools across the State. Janet understands the unique challenges faced by non-public School Nurses and administrators and is looking forward to continuing to provide support and consultation to these schools across the Commonwealth.
Additionally, Margaret (Meg) Burch has been selected by Frontier Regional School District to be the second School Nurse Regional Consultant for the Western Region. Meg will focus on supporting school nurses in Berkshire and Franklin counties, while Veronica Webb-Barrett (Springfield Public Schools) will focus on Hampden and Hampshire counties. They will work together to provide ongoing professional development for the entire Western Region. A bit more about Meg below:
Meg Burch is the Frontier Regional & Union #38 District Nurse Manager. She has been a school nurse since 2011 and has served in her current role since 2016. She worked for the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Cooperative Public Health District as part of the COVID-19 response team in 2020; was a member of the Boston University School Health Institute for Education and Leadership Development (SHIELD) Leadership Advisory Board; and is a founding member of the Franklin County School Nurse Collaborative, a volunteer organization that has hosted regional professional development opportunities for School Nurses and other school personnel. Meg serves on the Greenfield Community Colleges advisory board for the Nursing Program and has taught a class on School Nursing as part of the Pediatric Nursing course. Prior to her nursing career, Meg worked as an epidemiologist conducting quality based critical review of literature, litigation support, and occupational research. When not working Meg can be found on her bicycle, practicing Tae Kwon Do, gardening or just spending time outdoors.
Please join me in welcoming Janet and Meg, and I hope that these additional resources will be helpful to the school nursing workforce as a whole.
With great respect,
Karen
Karen Robitaille, MBA, MSN, RN, NCSN
<she, her, hers>
Director of School Health Services
Division of Child/Adolescent Health and Reproductive Health
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
250 Washington St. 5th floor, Boston, MA 02108
karen.robitaille3@mass.gov
Cell: 781-675-0463
Personal Webex room: https://statema.webex.com/meet/Karen.Robitaille3
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CCIS Caregivers Spotlight Webinar
On January 13 from 1:00-2:30 PM, please join the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for a virtual webinar sharing key findings from the COVID-19 Community Impact Survey (CCIS) on the pandemic’s impacts on Caregivers. As providers to our Commonwealth’s schoolchildren, you may find this information helpful when working with caregivers. We know the timing for school health staff is not optimal, but the webinar will be recorded and posted on Mass.gov and we will let you know when it’s posted. More information can be found here.
All Regions Regional Meeting
The next all regions regional meeting will take place via Zoom on January 26th, 2022 from 1:00-3:00 PM and will feature a presentation from the MDPH Pedi-SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program. Details will be here under "Regional Meetings."
SHIELD Training Update
The BinaxNOW training has just been added to SHIELD’s website as a self-paced course. Learners can review material on their own time and then register to participate in a return demonstration with a BinaxNOW trainer.
SHIELD continues to add new trainings to its website; for a summary of all courses and upcoming events, see this one page listing.
Recurring Support Group for School Nurses
There is a recurring drop-in support group for school nurses happening every Monday at 7 PM. The flyer with the Zoom link can be found here.
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INFORMATION ON INCOMING AFGHAN EVACUEES from the Division of Global Populations and Infectious Disease Prevention, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences | Massachusetts Department of Public Health
In late August 2021, over 100,000 Afghan nationals were evacuated from Afghanistan to military bases in the US and other transitional locations overseas. Evacuees included people who worked for the US in Afghanistan and other vulnerable individuals. Coordinated by the Department of Homeland Security, Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) is the mobilization of multiple federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to meet the immediate needs of Afghans on US bases and support their resettlement into local communities across the country.
As of December 14, over 800 Afghan evacuees have arrived in Massachusetts and we expect to welcome a total of 2,000 by mid-February of 2022. Nearly all will be connected with one of eight local resettlement agency offices in Massachusetts for initial resettlement assistance. These agencies, in turn, are working in partnership with volunteer networks to support and welcome Afghans. This outpouring of support, together with the short timeframe to prepare for resettlement and limited access to housing, has meant that Afghan families are resettling in many communities across the state and some will initially stay in temporary housing.
School enrollment is a critical step for children and families as they begin to rebuild their lives here in Massachusetts. Key points to remember include:
- Vaccines:
- Age appropriate vaccinations per ACIP guidelines were initiated for nearly all children who stayed temporarily on US bases.
- DPH is uploading immunization records from US bases to the MIIS as they become available to us.
- Additional vaccinations given in Massachusetts should be in MIIS.
- Tuberculosis screening:
- All Afghans were screened for tuberculosis on US bases. The standard was an interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) for individuals age two and older. (At least one base screened by chest X-ray only.) Persons with signs or symptoms of tuberculosis are evaluated regardless of IGRA result.
- Medical screening in Massachusetts:
- Afghans are eligible for federal assistance as well as refugee benefits and services, including initial medical screening. Arrangements should be made for medical screening by the resettlement agency. These services are delivered through a network of providers with DPH contracts. Review of records from the base as well as updating immunizations, following up on tuberculosis screening results, and connections with primary care are key components of medical screening.
Below are a few key resources that we encourage you to review.
- Archived webinars:
- Switchboard: This is the landing page for the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) funded resource hub for refugee service providers. Switchboard offers tools and materials, learning opportunities, research, and technical assistance on resettlement-related topics. Switchboard maintains a Resource Page to support Afghan arrivals.
Thank you for your support and effort to welcome Afghan children into our school systems.
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Dear SBHC Stakeholders,
230531 School-Based Health Center Program RFR is now available on COMMBUYS and can be accessed here. The MDPH Bureau of Community Health and Prevention (BCHAP) seeks proposals from qualified vendors to sponsor school-based health centers (SBHCs) in Massachusetts. SBHCs are fully-licensed comprehensive primary care facilities that are located on-site in schools and operate as satellite clinics of their sponsor agencies (usually community health centers or hospitals). SBHCs are staffed by teams of professionals who collaborate with school communities to meet the health and behavioral health needs of children and adolescents with a special focus on those who are most vulnerable to health inequities and with the explicit goal of promoting academic achievement. SBHCs improve access to health care services for students by decreasing financial, geographic, and cultural barriers.
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Mandated Reporting for CSHS Funded Schools/Districts:
The link to the Monthly report survey is here and the end-of-year Status Report 21/22 survey is here. All reporting forms, worksheets and instructions were sent out to districts by Bob Leibowitz and worksheets for the monthly report can also be found here, and here is the CSHS end-of-year Status Report 21/22 worksheet. Questions related to CSHS mandated grant reporting should go to: DPH_ESHS_data@MassMail.State.MA.US
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Mandated Reporting for Non-CSHS Districts (public school)
Concussion Report Form: Not yet available.
BMI report form: BMI report. CSHS-funded districts and nonpublic schools should NOT submit a separate BMI report, as these data are included in the Status Report. Non-funded districts will use the same link that is used to access the Status Report form.
SBIRT report. CSHS-funded districts and nonpublic schools should NOT submit a separate SBIRT report, as these data are included in the Status Report. Non-funded districts will use the same link that is used to access the Status Report form.
A worksheet for non-funded districts can be found here.
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Mandated Reporting for ALL Schools/Districts
Asthma and Diabetes Survey questions may be directed via email to the project mailbox at DPH-BEH-Asthma@state.ma.us.
Epinephrine administration report form.
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Please note the following:
- The Performance Measures for public school districts in the Affiliated and Model programs have been modified and simplified.
- SBIRT data reporting has been simplified. Starting this year, the SBIRT report only requires district-level data for each grade screened, rather than individual-level data. An Excel spreadsheet with individual-level data will no longer be used to submit the data. Instead, the data will now be collected using the same online data collection tool that we use for collecting other district-level data. As a result, the SBIRT data report has been incorporated into the Status Report.
- School districts do not need to submit their SBIRT data until 60 days after completing the last SBIRT screening for the entire district. If submitting the SBIRT data prior to submitting CSHS end-of-year data, school districts can skip to the SBIRT section of the data report by clicking the option to submit “only SBIRT data”, enter the data, and then save the report so it can be edited later. When submitting CSHS Status Report data at the end of the school year, change the option from “only SBIRT data” to “CSHS program data.”
- All the district-wide data (SBIRT, BMI, and CSHS end-of-year data) should be submitted using the same data report, although it does not have to be submitted at the same time. For example, if the SBIRT screenings are completed in December, the SBIRT data can be submitted in January and the district can wait until July 15 to submit the other annual report data. That’s not a problem, as long as the person who submits the SBIRT data saves the link to their online data record by clicking the “Save and Exit” button and saves the report-specific link the pops up on screen. Without that link, you may not be able to edit the data submission, and you would have to submit a completely new record with all of the district’s data. Additional instructions are provided on the first page of the online data tool.
- If we receive multiple data submissions from the same district, we assume that the most recent submission has corrected, updated data, and any prior submissions are discarded.
There are no changes to the Monthly report or other data collection tools.
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2021/2022 COVID-19 Protocols and
Testing Information on DESE Website
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“Although we are in crisis mode right now, our tools are working and help is on the way. Every epi curve comes down. This one will too. Don’t take Omicron lightly, but don’t lose hope either.”
- Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, Your Local Epidemiologist
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School Health Screenings for PE Teachers 
BU SHIELD is excited to announce a new course offered: School Health Screenings for PE teachers. This free course is designed for PE teachers who are assisting with BMI and postural screenings.
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New Mental Health Training Series!
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Additional recordings in this series will be released throughout the new year. PDPs and discounts are being offered for attending the full series. For more information, visit SHIELD’s website here.
If you have SHIELD credit, it can be used for these courses. Please email BU SHIELD at shieldbu@bu.edu with any questions!
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New Vision Screening Protocols (to begin in FY23)
The new vision screening protocol is now up on the BU SHIELD website for your reference and can be found here. As a reminder, schools/districts are not mandated to use this protocol until the 2022/2023 school year. Additional health screening resources can be found here.
New Vision Screening Course is now open! The November Clinical Update focused on the new vision screening requirements. This course was recorded and is now available for self-paced learning. This course is ideal for districts to use as a local professional development option. To access the course, follow this link.
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Vision Screening during COVID. The National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness has updated the Considerations for Conducting Children's Vision Screening Safely in Schools, Head Start, and Early Care and Education Programs During the Covid-19 Pandemic. The resources includes a downloadable guide and FAQ. Please share these documents with your colleagues.
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GREAT NEWS! CSHS Affiliate grantees will see another boost in their funding this fiscal year; districts originally funded at $3000 (who got $10,500 in FY21) will receive $14,000 for FY22. Districts originally funded at $5000 (who got $20,000 last year) will get $29,600 in FY22. Model amounts will remain the same as last year. Non-public grantee amounts may have changed; email Juliet or Karen if you have any questions regarding your funding amount.
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Allowable use of CSHS grant funds for COVID-19 response during FY22:
- Consumable supplies needed to safely provide care during COVID (may include gloves, masks, eye protection, scrub/gowns), for school health staff ONLY. Not to exceed 10% of the total budget.
- Reallocation of case management staff hours to address COVID case management during school hours in the form of dedicated nursing staff performing contact tracing and/or case management for COVID cases in the school community (i.e. referral to testing, referral to community resources for isolation & quarantine) under an agreement with the LBOH.
- Health office equipment that addresses COVID-19 emergency response and that will be used in the health office, medical waiting room or AGP room (may include physical barriers and filtration units for those spaces ONLY). Not to exceed 15% of the total budget.
- Model and Affiliate grantees may also use grant funding to support staff that are conducting COVID-19 case management and/or contact tracing. This includes hiring of new staff, as well as paying stipends at hourly nursing rates for work doing COVID-19 contact tracing/case management outside of normal working hours. The intent of this expansion is to allow current nursing staff more time and flexibility to meet other CSHS grant requirements.
PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTS:
Medication Registration: medication.delegation@MassMail.State.Ma.us
US Return of signed CSHS purchase vouchers: cshs.pv@mass.gov
Return of CSHS amendment forms: CSHS.Amendments@mass.gov
Return of CSHS reconciliation forms: CSHS.Reconciliation@mass.gov
Using the correct email address is essential to your documents being received and processed in a timely manner. Thank you!
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New School-Located Vaccine Clinic Resources
NASN partnered with the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) to develop a checklist for school nurses to plan school-located vaccination and a tip-sheet for Immunization Program Managers. With the approval of COVID-19 vaccines for students under the age of 12 years, and flu season coming in fall and winter, SLVs are a strategy to improve the health of students. See resources.
Duke-Margolis partnered with the COVID Collaborative, the Council of the Great City Schools, National Rural Education Association, Rural Schools Collaborative, and AASA: The School Superintendents Association to develop an issue brief on Innovative Strategies for Leveraging Schools as Covid-19 Vaccination Sites.
The Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy (Duke-Margolis) and the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, released a series of resources for school leaders on how schools can serve as critical access points for students and families to receive Covid-19 vaccines.
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COVID-19 Update:
MDPH has created a new webpage for pediatric vaccine information for the newest age group expected to gain vaccine approval.
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This webpage will be updated as more information is available. Vaxfinder will also be updated as pediatric vaccine becomes available for this age group.
Standing order template for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: 5 Through 11 Years of Age:
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: 5 Through 11 Years of Age • Standing Orders for Administering Vaccine (cdc.gov)
New Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Reminder: AAP COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign Toolkit
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has created a COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign Toolkit to assist pediatric healthcare professionals in addressing parent and caregiver COVID-19 vaccines questions and concerns. The Toolkit includes articles, graphics, social media messages, and videos. It is designed to reach parents and caregivers, who have not yet vaccinated their eligible children, to encourage them to talk to a trusted provider.
New: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has updated its Children & Youth with Special Health Needs (CYSHN) and the COVID-19 Vaccine webpage to include FAQs for vaccinating this population.
New: The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has released its Winter Masking Guidelines, which will be a continuation of the fall guidelines: Student-athletes, coaches, and officials that are indoors shall be masked. Read more here.
Lyft Offering Free or Discounted Rides to Vaccine Appointments: Getting access to the vaccine is a struggle for many. Lyft is mobilizing partners and community members to help provide access to millions of riders to and from vaccine appointments. Learn more and see if Lyft is available in your community here.
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CDC's School-Location Vaccination Clinics: Best Practices for School Districts
 This guide provides a roadmap for school district administrators to work directly with local health departments and other vaccine providers (e.g., pharmacies) to set up vaccination clinics in places that K–12 students and their parents know and trust. Find the resource here.
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The MDPH Immunization Division hosted a
Live Q&A: Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination
Below are some of the additional information they provided.
Information on COVID-19 Vaccine storage, handling and administration access full training resources and supplemental resources below:
- MDPH COVID-19 Vaccine Training
- On 10/29/2021, the FDA amended Pfizer-BioNTech’s Emergency Use Authorization to allow the vaccine to be administered to children ages 5 to 11 years. FDA resources are available at:
For Individual case questions, please refer your questions to your local board of health. If you are unable to reach them, please call the Mass Epidemiology Line here: (617) 983-6800
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You may be seeing student and staff COVID-19 vaccination records, including those from other countries. AN IMPORTANT NOTE IN REGARD TO FOREIGN VACCINATION RECORDS: Unlike other vaccinations where we accept whatever the foreign formulation is, the U.S. is currently only accepting WHO-approved COVID vaccination formulations. Here is the link to the list of COVID-19 vaccines within the WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process; any vaccine marked “finalized” is accepted in the U.S. Please note, nurses should check this information frequently, as it is subject to change.
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Your students might appreciate this course designed by researchers at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development in partnership with Medway Public Schools: Stress and COVID-19: A Course for Teens
For School Health Professionals: The Emotional PPE Project connects healthcare workers in need with licensed mental health professionals who can help. No cost. No insurance. Just a trained professional to talk to.
More Self-Care Resources can be found on SHIELD's Website here.
Massachusetts tool to locate vaccination sites and open appointments by zip code.
Vaccine Communication Resources (18 and younger)
New COVID-19 vaccination for youth ages 12+
- For details, including information on parental consent, and FAQs, visit here.
- Youth aged 12 and above may be preregistered here.
- COVID-19 vaccine graphics for teens and young adults.
Public Service Announcements
- MA Medical Society newly-elected Massachusetts Medical Society president, Dr. Carole Allen, recorded video urging parents to get their children vaccinated.
- @MassDPH
Clinical Considerations from the CDC found here.
COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet for Preteens and Teens can be found here.
School Nursing Staff may also find this contact tracing data collection spreadsheet.
The testing standing order template can be found on the BU SHIELD website front page under "COVID-19 Resources Page".
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For key information about managing COVID-19 in Massachusetts, see these websites.
SHIELD COVID-19/BinaxNow Resources.
MDPH Website.
SHAH Family Foundation Pooled Testing Website.
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For additional resources surrounding COVID-19, visit these websites.
NASN COVID-19 Resources.
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School Nurses in the News:
SHIELD Nurses in the News Feed.
"Forced to improvise COVID policies, school nurses are reaching a 'breaking point,'" article can be found here.
"Newburyport schools welcome Afghan children," article can be found here.
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Governor Baker visited Gardner Public Schools last week to see Nurse Leader Becky McCaffrey, along with her nursing team, in action running a student Covid-19 vaccination clinic.
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