World Health Day was April 7th and we want to highlight the work of our Office of School Health and Wellness (OSHW) team which includes Dr. Elliott Attisha (Chief Health Officer), Nurse Denise Cade (Senior Director, Nursing) and our School Nurses!
The OSHW is responsible for supervision of all DPSCD health-related issues including the nursing Team (staff and contractors), dental and vision services and partnerships with multiple behavioral health agencies, school-based health centers, immunizations, and school health teams.
Our teams are trained in specific health modules: asthma, diabetes, seizures, allergic reactions, and medication delivery. In partnership with Henry Ford Health Systems and Ascension Michigan, OSHW has established school-based health centers located inside seven schools, providing a full spectrum of services, from physicals to managing chronic disease, behavioral health issues, and more.
The OSHW Team has been instrumental in the District’s COVID-19 protocol development and implementation for all students, staff and families. They provided input in the State’s School Reopening Roadmap and work daily to ensure that appropriate health and safety measures are in place, including PPE hygiene procedures, behavioral health screenings, safety protocols, contact tracing, collaborating with the local health departments and much more. The Board of Education authorized additional funds to support a nurse in every school, almost doubling nursing services. The team currently is focused on mitigation strategies, COVID testing and vaccine distribution as we continue to fight this virus!
Dr. Attisha, formerly the Medical Director for the pediatric mobile clinic at Henry Ford Health System’s School-Based and Community Health Program, also is trained in healthcare in schools, asthma, and chronic absenteeism. He served on the Michigan School Nurse Task Force, working to improve Michigan’s School Nurse to student ratio, which is currently the worst in the nation. Most recently, he served on the Chronic Absenteeism Working Group, convened by the National Collaborative on Education and Health, tasked with identifying and disseminating interventions that address health-related causes of chronic absenteeism.
We thank the entire Office of School Health and Wellness and Dr. Elliot Attisha for the leadership, guidance, compassion and service that they provide our DPSCD students, families and staff!
The District is actively seeking funding and partnerships to expand school clinic/telemedicine access to more schools, as part of their Coordinated School Health Plan.