Health and Community Services
Communicable Disease Consultant Services
The Communicable Disease Consultants are registered nurses who are available to assist
Kalamazoo County schools, preschools and childcare centers with consultations on health
issues, training, information and resources. If we may be assistance, please call: the
nurses at 373-5264 or 373-5239.
The goal of the Communicable Disease Consultant Program is to:
Promote optimal health of school/preschool children and the community; and to help maintain a healthy school environment by providing health-related information, education, resources, and support services to preschools/ schools in Kalamazoo County.
The principal function of the CD Consultant program is:
To improve immunization rates and decrease the incidence of communicable diseases in preschool/school-age children by educating and advising school and community leaders, parents and students.
Immunization Consultation
Michigan State law requires that all public, charter and private schools report student immunizations (section 2). CD Consultants assist schools to meet or exceed compliance standards by providing the following services:
- Training on latest immunization reporting requirements and computer programs, including MCIR/SIRS.
- Vaccine information and safety updates
- Provide consultation with problem immunization records, including foreign translations.
- Liaison with healthcare providers to locate and obtain records.
- Assess and review IP100/101 immunization reports to ensure compliance and properly submitted in a timely manner to MDCH.
- Offer low cost or free immunizations at Nazareth and outlying clinics.
Communicable Disease Consultation
The Michigan Public Health Code requires school officials to report communicable diseases to the local health department. All schools and preschools should submit communicable disease report forms (DCH-0453) on a weekly basis (section 3). CD Consultant services include, but are not limited to:
- Answer questions/concerns of faculty/staff and parents. Provide information resources.
- Investigate disease reports and advise schools accordingly.
- Assist with writing of parent notification letters.
- Assist with record searches, as needed.
- Training/Information/Consultation services
Health Education
The Communicable Disease Consultants are dedicated to raising public awareness about communicable disease, immunizations and other health-related issues that affect the community. We offer health education presentations to students, staff and parent groups as a means of addressing health concerns and encouraging life long healthy choices. The CD Consultant presentations are offered free of charge to schools within Kalamazoo County. Please allow at least four weeks for scheduling presentations. Scheduling is based on nurse availability.
Current presentations are briefly described below. We are open to suggestions on other topics and may be available to speak on additional topics, upon request, or we may be able to recommend a speaker for that topic. To schedule a presentation, please call 373-5264
Presentations
- Why Immunize? Childhood Vaccine Facts and Fallacies: Discusses benefits of early childhood immunizations, recommended vaccines and schedules, and vaccine preventable diseases.
* Audience: Living Skills classes, teen parenting groups.
- Talking to Your Kids about STDS and HIV: Current accurate facts about STDs and HIV and discussion of "teachable moments" as a means for parents and others caring adults to open lines of communication with children about this important health issue.
* Audience: Parent groups.
- Snack Happy: Steps to Reduce Illness in the Classroom: Focuses on practices to reduce food-borne illness transmission within the classroom or childcare center. Proper handwashing, disinfect ion of tables/desks, snack dispensing are discussed.
* Audience: Classroom teachers, other school/center staff.
- What's Bugging You? Head Lice Screening Training: All you want to know about head lice and more! Training on screening techniques. Learn about lice life cycle, treatment recommendations. Includes video: Head Lice to Dead Lice.
* Audience: School personnel and parent volunteers.
|
Health and Community Services programs are open to all without regard
to race, color, national origin, sex or disability.
Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by Kalamazoo County.
|
