With the click of a button, nurses at an Orlando school are able to bring a board-certified pediatrician on to campus for a video visit. Morning Star Catholic School is the first school in Florida to use the telehealth technology, known as Nemours CareConnect. Thursday night, CareConnect was named "Innovation of the Year in Patient Care" by the Florida Hospital Association.
"Nemours CareConnect helps Morning Star deliver the school nurse’s office of the future to today’s students and families," said Shayan Vyas, MD, medical director of Nemours CareConnect. "If a nurse wants to consult with a board-certified pediatrician, doctors from Nemours are able to remotely see and hear the child within moments."
Morning Star Catholic School is a Diocese of Orlando school serving the needs of students with special needs. The video visits are intended for minor injuries and health issues, such as fevers, vomiting and rashes as well as chronic disease management.
"We are so excited to partner with Nemours and CareConnect," said Sandy Cooney, principal of Morning Star Catholic School. "With this technology, parents will no longer need to leave their employment to take a sick child to the doctor."
Families are contacted by the school prior to a video visit and are welcome to join in on the appointment via their mobile devices, tablets or computers. Nurses can use tools like an otoscoope to send images of child’s ear to the doctor. They can also use a dermcam to scan skin and help the pediatrician determine the best care for rash.
Following a visit, an electronic summary of the visit will be available through the hospital’s health record portal. A report will also be sent to the child’s primary care physician when possible.
In addition, Morning Star Catholic School has partnered with Walgreens Pharmacy, 3301 Edgewater Dr., Orlando, to fill and deliver medications as prescribed by the doctor. This service not only allows the school nurse to begin treatment sooner, but is also a convenience to parents, who now will have medicine in hand when they pick up their child.
"The partnership between Nemours Hospital and Morning Star Catholic School represents the best of both communities," said Henry Fortier, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Orlando. "It is important that we always seek more creative ways to better serve those God has entrusted to out care."
Nemours launched CareConnect in November, 2015, offering families anywhere in Florida 24/7 access to Nemours’ pediatricians through a smartphone, tablet or the internet at NemoursCareConnect.com.
The technology is also bringing pediatric specialists into hospitals across Florida. Nemours now has agreements with six hospitals which allow a Nemours specialist to remotely assess a patient at any one of these affiliated hospitals through an iPad. Providers have the opportunity to put their eyes on a patient, providing an added level of communication that is not possible over the phone.
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