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Help Fund School Nursing in Your Community: HB3165 has potential for supporting the school nursing in Oregon

By Wendy Niskanen, MEd, RN posted 08-23-2019 16:40

  

What is HB3165?? It is a bill which provides for planning grants and operational funding for school health services in 10 districts or ESD’s. Recipients of grants would do a health needs assessment of their community and then plan for a system solution which would improve the school health services. The bill stipulates that at least six school based health centers emerge from this planning. The remaining grant recipients can propose alternative models which would involve increasing access to school nursing!


This bill could have an amazing impact, so we need to do 3 things: 1) First and foremost, if you work in a region with poor social determinants and incredibly sparse resources, urge your district to apply for this grant money NOW (deadlines are rapidly approaching); the Request For Grant Proposal (RFGP) is available in the Latest File Shared portion of our website. 2) Even if your district is not selected for this funding, the RFGP is a guide post for gathering data which could encourage districts to consider school health, specifically school nursing, as they plan school improvement grants through the Student Success Act (SSA). As so often happens, educators in many districts are considering educational solutions to improve social-emotional learning, while health services solutions are left by the wayside. Use your voice to recommend that school nursing be part of your district's school improvement grant (SSA). 3) Several legislators worked to support this legislation. It is important that we take the time to show our support for this work by emailing thanks to Representative Nancy Nathanson (email: Rep.NancyNathanson@oregonlegislature.gov) and Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson (email: Sen.LaurieMonnesAnderson@oregonlegislature.gov). Their legislation includes a focus on alternative health services; their legislation supports school nursing and improved educational outcomes.

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