Health Services

If your student has an emergency, we need to contact you. Please be sure to complete and return the Emergency Contact and Health History form every fall for each student in your family. This emergency and health information is available to school staff, as necessary, to work with your student. Accurate and up-to-date information makes it possible for school personnel to provide proper emergency care according to your wishes. Should your telephone number or place of residence change during the school year, be sure to notify the office staff at your student's school.

In case of a medical emergency or illness, school personnel will attempt to notify you immediately. It is your responsibility to make arrangements for the proper care and transportation of your child if he/she should be met with an accident or become too ill to remain in school. These arrangements include designating friends or relatives who would be available to pick up and care for your child in the event we are unable to reach you. Including their names on the emergency form allows us to contact them and release your student to their care. If the emergency is highly urgent, school staff will call 911 and a copy of the emergency form will be given to the ambulance attendant

Please send a request to the teacher if your child needs to be excused from physical education. Written instructions are required from the student's physician if the student is to be excused for more than two days, and must include a re-entry date.

Children should not be in school if they have a temperature of 100 degrees or above. Children who have a contagious illness or are experiencing vomiting, diarrhea or other symptoms of illness that may prohibit active participation in school routines should not be in school until appropriate treatment is secured. Students should be free of elevated temperature, vomiting, and diarrhea symptoms for 24 hours prior to their return to school.

If a student has contracted a contagious disease and a doctor has confirmed it, please inform the student's teacher. Parents of other students may then be cautioned to watch for signs of the disease and help prevent its spread throughout the classroom.

While at school, if a student develops a temperature of 100 or above and/or shows other symptoms of illness, parents will be contacted to pick him/her up. If the parent/guardian cannot be reached, information on the emergency card will be used.

To go to school in Minnesota, students must show they've had the required immunizations, or must file a legal exemption* with the school.

Check to see if your child has the required immunizations.

For more information, call your doctor, clinic, or health plan, or visit the Minnesota Department of Health website.

* Parents may file a medical exemption signed by a health care provider or provide conscientious objection signed by parent/guardian and notarized.

Diagnosis, treatment of illness, and/or prescribing drugs and medications are the responsibility of physicians, not school personnel. School personnel will dispense only medications that have been prescribed by a physician. When possible, medication doses should be given at home to avoid interruptions in the school day.

If medication is needed during the school day:

• Parents/guardians must inform the building nurse. Students observed by school personnel self-administering unauthorized medications shall be reported to their parents/guardians. 
• A Medication Administration Consent form is required for the administration of all medications. The form must include the student's name, diagnosis, name of medication, dosage information, time to be given, and signatures of parent/guardian and physician.
• Medication must be provided in pharmacy-labeled containers that indicate pharmacy name and telephone number, student's name, physician, and name and dosage of medication. Parents/guardians should ask the pharmacy to split medication into duplicate bottles if it is necessary to give medication during school hours. One bottle will be kept at home and the other at school under the care of school authorities. 
• The building nurse will administer prescribed medication. In the absence of the nurse, the medication will be dispensed by a designee named by the principal, in consultation with the building nurse. Students will be allowed to carry and self-administer medications only with a physician's and parent's written permission.

Tylenol or other over-the-counter medicines will be administered to elementary students only with a physician's written order, in addition to the parent authorization. Such over-the-counter medication must be in the original container.

The Northwest Immunization Clinic located at the Enrollment Center offers free immunizations to eligible students. Minnesota is a “No Shots, No School” state; in order to enroll, students must be up-to-date on required immunizations.

The clinic also provides assistance with accessing local health care, health insurance, employment, and other community resources. The nurse can also provide baby shots and shots for adults needing to obtain a green card. 

The Northwest Immunization Clinic is a program of the Northwest Hennepin Family Service Collaborative in partnership with Osseo Area Schools. The clinic is funded by the Northwest Hennepin Family Service Collaborative in partnership with Osseo Area Schools.

To schedule an appointment please call 763-585-7361.

ISD 279 works to make appropriate plans for those students with special health care needs. The primary responsibility for a student's health care rests with the parent/guardian. School health service is supportive health care that enables education of the student in a safe manner. A student with a "special health care need" is one with a chronic health problem that requires specialized health support beyond routine medication administration during the school day in order to attend school.

Students with special health care needs must be identified and appropriate initial plans developed before attendance at any district building. A team meeting that includes parents/guardians, student (if reasonable), building nurse, appropriate teacher, and others as directed by the principal shall be held for the purpose of establishing the needs and the plan of care (Individualized Healthcare Plan), and initiating the 504 or IEP process, if indicated.

• If a parent's request for service does not match the team's expectation of required care or is considered not to be a school health service, an independent evaluation by a neutral physician may be required and paid for by the school district.
• Provision of direct health care procedures (g-tube feedings, catheterization, etc.) beyond medication administration shall be authorized by physician order and parent/guardian signature. Orders must be renewed at least yearly or at the time of any changes in the procedure.
• The building nurse will be responsible for the case management of all special health needs. The building nurse may delegate health care in accordance with the Minnesota Nurse Practice Act when necessary. A regular documented program of training and supervision of appropriate teachers and other involved school personnel will be required.
• An Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP) shall document the student's health concern/need, plan of care, and goals/desired outcomes. The IHP should also include an emergency plan if a student's condition may predictably result in an emergency situation. The IHP is the result of the initial team conference. It is written by the Registered Nurse and is filed in the student's health folder. 
• Information regarding a student's health needs shall be shared with those personnel who need to know in order to work with that student. This information shall be considered private in accordance with federal and state data practices law.
• The provision of special health care will be done in a manner that will protect privacy, promote developmentally appropriate student independence and minimize interruption to the education of the individual student and other students in the classroom. The location of services will be determined on an individual basis with the previous factors, safety and classroom needs in mind. 
• Equipment requirements particular to the needs of a given student and beyond that routinely used for the general health needs of students will be supplied and maintained by the student/family. Students with tracheostomies must have an emergency kit with them at all times.
• Requests for health service while off school grounds (during the school day for school-related activities) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the district nurse. An invitation may be extended to the parents to attend and provide for their student's unique health needs. In the absence of parent help, a plan will be made to accommodate students with special health needs.
   

Osseo Area Schools does not provide health or accident insurance for injuries incurred by your child at school. Therefore, we encourage you to review your present health and accident insurance program to determine if your coverage is adequate.

Student Assurance Services, Inc. offers families the opportunity to purchase supplemental accident insurance at low cost. Supplemental insurance may be appropriate for families with large deductibles or co-insurance payments, including HSA plans.