A partnership with Kootenai Medical Center provides health services and health education to District 271 schools. The School Health Services department works collaboratively with the educators, administrators, support staff, students and families of School District 271 to remove or modify barriers to learning that are caused by health-related issues.

The Health Services team focuses on promoting an optimal level of wellness for the students and staff so that their learning and teaching abilities are maximized. Members of the team are: Cindy Perry, RN, BSN; Victoria Kimball, RN, BSN: Melinda Miller, RN, BSN; Erin Dever, RN, BSN; Amy Bell, RN, BSN; Connie Drager, RN, BSN; Megan Schnell, RN, BSN; Shellie Steward, RN; Christina Allen, RN, BSN, and Bobbi Cooke, RN.

To contact the District Health Services department, call 664-8241 ext. 255 and leave a message. Parents may also contact their child's school and ask that the school nurse return their call.

Specific programs that School Health Services provide to students, families and staff are:

• Epidemiology (disease outbreak) monitoring/control/prevention.
• Coordination and supervision of health services for "high risk" students while at school.
• Membership on each school's multidisciplinary team when student or school issues have a health-related component.
• Weekly visits to each school; including individual student and/or staff visits and consultations as requested by student(s) and/or staff.
• Regional schools where a nurse is on site throughout the day.
• Resource for information on health-related issues and health-related services available in the community.
• Resource for financial assistance/health insurance information for families with health-related issues and needs.
• Health screenings and referrals for vision, scoliosis, blood pressure.
• Health education on: body substance isolation, hand washing, maturation, alcohol (binge drinking) prevention, and asthma education.
• Immunization compliance review.