Wellness Telemedicine Center at Lake Elkhorn

Tue, 07/30/2019 - 9:06pm

Telemedicine Enrollment Packet: Telemedicine Enrollment Packet

Click here for more information including:

  • A letter explaining the School-Based Wellness Telemedicine Center at Lake Elkhorn

  • FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

  • Consent Forms

  • Privacy Notice 

SCHOOL-BASED TELEMEDICINE CENTERS Participation and Data Sharing

Dear Parent/Guardian:

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) and the Howard County Health Department (HCHD) have partnered to implement school-based wellness telemedicine centers. Telemedicine centers use a secure, two-way link to transmit videos and images between your school’s private health suite and the telemedicine provider. The current telemedicine providers are the Howard County General Hospital, Columbia Medical Practice, and Klebanow M.D. and Associates.

In order for your student/child to receive telemedicine services, he or she must be enrolled in the School-Based Wellness Telemedicine Centers Program with the HCHD (separate enrollment form). In addition, the school nurse will always call you before your student/child receives any telemedicine services. If the nurse is unable to reach you, your student/child will be given the care normally provided by school health staff instead of telemedicine services, unless you have provided additional consent on the enrollment form for your child to have the telemedicine visit without the school nurse talking with you.

As part of the Telemedicine Center service, your student/child’s personal health information will be shared among the HCPSS, the HCHD, and the telemedicine provider in order to coordinate care and deliver services. In addition, your student/child’s personal health information may be used for treatment, payment, and operations as permitted under the privacy protections of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Please know that participation in this service is voluntary and is not required by Howard County Public Schools. If you choose not to participate, your student/child will receive care normally provided by school health staff. If you have questions, please contact your school.

By completing and signing this form, you: (1) agree that your student/child will participate in the School-Based Wellness Telemedicine Center Program; and (2) consent to the sharing of your student/child’s personal health information among the HCPSS, the HCHD, and the telemedicine provider to the extent permitted under HIPAA.

 

HOWARD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SCHOOL-BASED WELLNESS CENTERS PROGRAM TELEMEDICINE SERVICES

A partnership between the Howard County Health Department and the Howard County Public School System

What is telemedicine?

Telemedicine uses a secure, two –way video link between your school’s health suite and their primary care provider or Howard County General Hospital Pediatric Emergency Room to provide acute health services to your child. Equipment operated by the HCPSS school nurse will send images and sounds to the provider. Your child can be seen and treated for pink eye, strep throat, rashes on exposed skin, ear infections, asthma flare ups, and other minor health conditions. If your child does not have a contagious condition and is well enough, he or she can be given medicine to make them comfortable and can remain in school. Prescriptions, if needed, are sent to the pharmacy of your choosing.

How can my child receive telemedicine services?

Children must be enrolled in the Howard County School-Based Wellness Center located inside your school’s health suite to receive telemedicine services. The HCPSS school nurse will initiate and conduct the visit with the provider. Please visit the school’s website or contact your HCPSS school nurse for information on how to enroll your child in this valuable program.

Will I know that my child is receiving telemedicine services?

Parents or guardians must enroll their children in the Howard County School-Based Wellness Center Program before the child can be seen. In addition, the HCPSS school nurse will call you before the child receives any telemedicine services. You may participate in the visit by remaining on the phone with the HCPSS school nurse or the provider can give you access to view the visit through your smart phone or computer. A copy of the visit will be sent home with your child.

If the nurse is unable to reach you, your student/child will be given the care normally provided by school health staff instead of telemedicine services, unless you have provided additional consent on the enrollment form for your child to have the telemedicine visit without the school nurse talking with you.

What if I can’t participate in the visit? How will I know what is wrong with my child?

A summary of the visit with the diagnosis and recommended treatment will be provided by the health provider treating your child. The HCPSS school nurse will print the summary, and this summary will either be given to your child to take home with the contact information of the provider in case you have questions or if your child’s primary care provider saw your child, he or she will contact you with the visit information.

How will I billed for the telemedicine visit?

There are currently no fees or charges for a telemedicine visit if a Howard County General Hospital Pediatric Emergency Room physician sees your child. If your child is a patient at one of the practices listed below and a provider from that practice provides the telemedicine visit, then for these practices only, you will be billed as if your child saw their provider in their office. There is no additional cost for the telemedicine visit and your child will hopefully be able to remain in school.

Current Pediatric Providers participating in the Howard County Health Department telemedicine network (may be subject to change):

Columbia Medical Practice- Pediatrics Ken Klebanow M.D. and Associates

For more information, please contact Sharon Hobson, School-Based Wellness Centers Program Administrator, at (410) 313-7238.