Photograph shows Mayfield Elementary School Nurse Holly Whaley operating Telemedicine equipment on Mayfield student.
Medical care for Cleveland City School students is more accessible than ever. Students of Mayfield Elementary, E.L. Ross Elementary, D.P. Yates Primary, and Cleveland Middle School are part of the new Telemedicine program where students can receive expert medical care without leaving school.
School Nurses can access the Nurse Practitioner on the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile via confidential two way equipment and communication. The nurses can administer the flu test, strep test, urinalysis, and more. Once the visit is complete, the Nurse Practitioner talks with the parents, orders prescriptions, if needed, and provides school excuses. This service is free for Tenncare and uninsured students. The office co-pay is charged for insured students.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is funded by Children’s Hospital of Erlanger, Ronald McDonald Charities, United Way, and Skyridge Medical Center. Grants from the United Way of Bradley County purchased the specialized equipment and services needed for the Telemedicine program from Georgia Partnership for Telehealth.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile visits Stuart Elementary and Blythe-Bower Elementary schools once a week as well as several Bradley and Polk County schools.
Parents are notified prior to the Telemed consultation, but they do not have to be present for the visit. All Cleveland City Schools students (Pre-K thru 12th grades) and employees can visit the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile at any location. The Telemed service allows the students at Mayfield, Ross, Yates, and Cleveland Middle schools to stay on campus for the visit. A pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Erlanger is available, if needed by the Nurse Practitioner.
"This program is not intended to replace the Primary Care Physician; it provides a needed service for the children in our schools," officials said.
For more information contact DeeDee Finison, Cleveland City Schools coordinator of School Health, dfinison@clevelandschools.org, Reyne Pohl, Care Mobile coordinator, at 423-778-4954, or Natalie Pollard, Care Mobil Nurse Practitioner, 423-298-4469.
Photograph shows Mayfield Elementary School Nurse Holly Whaley operating Telemedicine equipment on Mayfield student.