b'Christina Green is in the middle of bathing Both Cone Health and Guilford County Schools (GCS) believe her elderly mother when she gets a call fromthat placing clinics inside schools could have a significant her daughters school. Kaleesi is having an asthma attack,impact on combating learning loss.she is told. We need you to get here as soon as possible.This partnership arose out of listening and understanding Knowing her child is in trouble, Christina is forced to pullwhat the school system needs. Its a great opportunity to make her mother out of the tub, set her on the bed and dash outa difference in childrens lives, says CEO Mary Jo Cagle. the door, worrying the entire time about both loved ones inWhat Guilford County Schools needs is a solution to students unsafe situations. having to leave school and parents leaving work when a For a long time, events like these were all too common. child feels illand to address challenges of a large staffing shortage for school nurses, which leaves one nurse managing Kaleesi is a fourth-grader who suffers from Hashimotosfour or five schools. Before telehealth, missed class time Disease, asthma and chronic migraines, and as a result shequickly added up. Now, a student struck with a sore throat, often misses classes for rest, doctors appointments andcough, stomach pain, or any other kind of ailment can visit medication administration. Since the introduction of school- the telehealth clinic, which acts as an onsite pediatric urgent based telehealth at Bessemer Elementary School, Kaleesi nocare. There, the telepresenter can connect the student with longer has to leave school early or miss a day entirely.a Cone Health doctor and their parent over a virtual visit. Telepresenters are authorized to give the student medication. Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, is a new form of careIn most cases, students are given the care they need and sent being rolled out across all 51 Title I elementary schools in theback to class. Guilford County system, starting with Bessemer Elementary, Union Hill Elementary, Cone Elementary and WashingtonWithin its first year at Bessemer, the telehealth clinic saw 300 Montessori School. The goal is to add 10 more schools forpatients240 of which were able to return to their classrooms the 2023-24 academic year and then expand to all Title Ifollowing their visits. The change in process allows for more elementary schools within three to four years.instruction time,improving educational outcomes overall. Acting as an on-site clinic, the telehealth center is equippedI absolutely see the difference in our school community, says with a telepresentera trained Certified Medical AssistantDr. Jonathan Brooks, principal. Our students are healthier. (CMA) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who acts asThey attend school more regularly. They have increased a bridge between student, provider and parent. Theconfidence. telepresenter has a direct tie to Cone Health doctors, canHealthy bodies mean healthy minds. Thats what Brooks consult about medications and, when needed, can facilitatebelieves; and he would knowhes among the first key a virtual visitwith a doctor and a students parent. State-of- collaborators with Cone Healths telehealth program. And the-art technologyan electronic stethoscope, for example Health care between recess and lunchallows both doctor and parent to see medical issues upthats the philosophy that donors champion when they support close, despite being miles away.school-based telehealth. Dr. John Jenkins, head of the program at Cone Health, believes the impacts of telehealth run even deeper. In the current state, our families are going to the A Title I focus makes the emergency room for routine care. We have analyzed program unique in the nation.our emergency room use and we see that low severity visits are occurring on a routine basis by these families. While school-based telehealth isnt new, focusing on Title I schoolsAnd so, you have to ask yourself why.is, making the partnership between Cone Health and Guilford County Schools innovative, differentiating and impactful. In theThe reasons stem from the long hours these parents Guilford County school system, 51 elementary schools identify astend to work. It isnt until late in the evening that such Title Ia designation indicating that at least 52% of the familiesfamilies have the freedom to seek care, which means in a given school are low-income. Chronic absenteeismdefinedthey end up in the emergency department at Cone as missing 10% of instructional time or moreis commonHealth. The average time these families spend in the amongst these schools, and can be connected to a host of issues,emergency room: 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. or midnight. including low grades and low graduation rates among students as well as increased financial issues as parents are forced to leaveThen the child is supposed to return to school the next work to care for sick children.day, and the parents have to go to work, Jenkins says. the giving effect 2022-2321'