Greetings! It is almost conference time and I hope to see you there! This conference promises some new and exciting twists and benefits. Look for more on the conference in this newsletter!

Statehouse Day: We plan to participate in ONA statehouse day on February 24. When this newsletter goes to print, the event will have occurred, however the newsletter deadline comes prior to the event. Bullet statements that we will use have been submitted and included in the folders. I will speak briefly on the panel that day.

I am happy to see that many of our members will be attending the day and joining us in meeting with legislators. It is important to be accessible and helpful to legislators in understanding school health issues. Many have questions regarding SB 210 & HB 373 (see below) and will be meeting with us. We will make good use of our legislative time.

School Nurse Legislation: We have been working to get corrections made to HB 1 and have met with legislators for support. That process is now over with no further corrections on our issues. However, during that process, a legislator contacted us regarding an issue in his district and as a result further meetings and discussions are occurring to explore restoring language to current law that addresses some of our licensure issues. This language is currently under review. If the language is worked out and there is any action required, you will get an alert.

If you remember, the final version left the minimum license requirements for the School Nurse and the School Nurse Wellness Coordinator up to the Public Health Advisory Council to submit its recommendations to the Governor. That council has now met a few times.

SB 210 & HB 373 (BMI/ childhood obesity): The fundamental goal of these bills is to alert parents to their child's weight status and to link them with appropriate health care resources for more information. It will include requirements for BMI screening at school, increased physical activity, and improved nutrition standards.

As school nurses, you well know that obesity in the general population has a caused a great increase in serious chronic health conditions. OASN supports the goals of the bills. While we were not involved in creating the bill, our minor concerns in how it will be implemented have been well received and seriously considered.

OASN invited to participate in new dental health initiative. We were pleased to be invited to take part in this important initiative at the beginning of the process. Two OASN members currently attend meetings of this group. It is very early in the process. They are looking at dental health of children and how best to meet their needs. I believe the new name for the group is COHAT. Expect to hear more from this group in the future.

Respectfully submitted,

Deborah Strouse, RN, BSN, MEd, NCSN
President, Ohio Association of School Nurses

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010-2011 Ohio School Nurse of the Year Award. This award, which is the highest award presented annually by OASN, recognizes one school nurse who demonstrates excellence in school nursing practice and leadership in school health.

Candidates must be currently employed, full-time Ohio school nurses with at least five years experience. Active membership in OASN for the current and previous two years is required. The selections will be made on the basis of the school nurse's contributions to school health and school nursing practice. This would include clinical skills, creative programs, leadership, research projects, political and legislative contributions, and community and professional involvement. Evidence of excellence in school nursing practice will be based on Scope and Standards of Professional School Nursing Practice (2005, ANA).

The nomination forms take time to prepare and must involve the nurse being nominated, but it's not too late to start! Completed nomination packets are due June 15. Forms may be obtained from our website www.oasn.org under "AWARDS." Each region is encouraged to nominate a candidate. Individual members are also welcome to nominate a colleague. For more information, e-mail Mary Massey, (awards@oasn.org).

Even if you are not considering a nomination for this coming year, take a look at the forms and criteria for selection as they appear online. It will give you an idea of all that is involved and a greater appreciation of the accomplishments of those who have earned the Ohio School Nurse of the Year Award!

Good News! OASN membership has grown this past year and continues to grow. We welcomed nine members in January 2010! A hearty thank you to all members for renewing or have recently become new members of OASN. During 2009, membership climbed from 433 members to 459 members, a 6% increase. And, most regions experienced an increase!

OASN continues to promote membership growth and participation by sending welcome letters to all new and returning members, and sending friendly reminders notices to lapsed members.

OASN challenges all individual regional members to encourage their non-OASN peers within their region to join OASN/NASN this year.

2009 Winning Region: Southeast while small in numbers, increased their membership by the largest percent of any region. SE's winning increase of 20 % will be displayed on the Membership Plaque and announced at the 2010 OASN conference. Worthy mention: The Southwest contains the largest contingent of OASN members at 153 as of December 09 and increased their membership by 12.03%.

Visit your NASN Association portal today ensure that your membership personal profile has current information such as current email addresses, most current credentials, etc by accessing http://www.nasn.org/portal.html or http://www.nasn.org and click on "Manage Member Profile".

Dawn Abbott, Membership Director

Exciting Happenings:

• NASN was asked to join First Lady Michelle Obama in the national effort to reduce childhood and adolescent obesity. This is the issue that the First lady has decided to focus on for the next three years. The NASN board voted unanimously to support this initiative and we are one of three organizations that were asked to join the First Lady in this endeavor; the other two are the ANA (American Nurse Association) and the APA (American Pediatric Association). Of course more organizations will be asked to join at a later date but it is exciting that NASN was asked at the ground level. School nurses are definitely beginning to be noticed!
• While in Washington DC, I attended a press conference where Senator Schumer from New York was presented with NASN recognition for introducing the School Nurse to Student Ratio bill. At this press conference the new ratio ruler was unveiled and Ohio jumped to #31.

Other news:

• There will be electronic voting taking place around March 15th for vice president of NASN. This will be a secure way to vote in that you will only be allowed to vote once and if you request a paper ballot then you will be locked out of voting online.
• NBCSN (National Board Certification of School Nurses)news;
  -- Our own Susan Preager was added to the NBCSN board.
  -- There will soon be a practice test that can be done online in preparation for the test.
  -- There is one more NBCSN board position open.
• The presidential theme of Vision- Voice- Visibility has been growing with NASN.
  -- With weekly digest..email blasts-now electronic voting
  -- Divided dues
  -- Social media (look on Facebook and Twitter for NASN)
  -- NASN Radio
  -- New ratio ruler
  -- H1N1 has definitely raised the awareness of the importance of a school nurses with numerous media opportunities across the nation (and in Ohio)
  -- With headquarters in DC there is an active presence on the hill
  -- Any membership changes can be made directly into the NASN database

The working of NASN is remarkable. Any member should be proud of the expertise of the staff and the checks and balance that the board of directors adds to the workings of the organization. I continue to grow into this position and for the next year have been appointed to the finance committee and the endowment committee.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 was the trip to the hill. This year I met with John Billington the Legislative Fellow to Senator Sharrod Brown and Corey Toth the Legislative Assistant to Congressman Bob Latta. Both of these gentlemen listened, questioned and took notes. There is no doubt in my mind that our voice is being heard.

NASN Conference this year is June 29-July 3 in Chicago; Vision, Voice, Visibility; Charting the Course for a Healthy Future. There are MANY exciting plans underway including a cruise on Lake Michigan AND a silent auction for the endowment called Purses for Nurses. It's close to home, so make plans to join nurses from across the nation.

Respectfully submitted,

Kathy Inderbitzin
Ohio NASN Director

Ohio has a new opportunity to access Medicaid funding in educational settings- the Medicaid Schools Program (MSP). This new program began full implementation on October 1, 2009.

As many of the more "seasoned" nurses remember, there was a previous program for schools to access Medicaid funding for school services- the Community Alternative Funding Source (CAFS). CAFS was administered through the then-named Ohio Department of MRDD (now known as DODD) and involved not only schools, but also county boards of MRDD and other individual practitioners providing nursing and therapy services for Medicaid recipients with a developmental disability diagnosis. However, that program ended on June 30, 2005.

After several years of work by both state agency staff and external stakeholder groups, the framework was developed for MSP to replace the CAFS program. Key differences between MSP and CAFS include making the service units more logical, putting fiscal controls in place, and making services available to all Medicaid recipients in school settings. Also, the MSP provider pool is more focused: only entities that have responsibility for a student's Individualized Service Plan (IEP) can become providers which are limited to traditional school districts and community or charter schools. The new MSP is jointly administered between the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).

Beginning on October 1, 2009, Ohio's MSP was up and running. Thanks to a collaborative effort between schools, state agencies, billing agencies, and licensure boards for therapies and nursing, Ohio had a viable new program for schools to become Medicaid providers, and an ongoing reimbursement opportunity to cover costs for medical services delivered in schools.

So Ohio now has a program that gives schools the ability to become Medicaid providers- what does provider status offer to schools and their employees? First, they can use MSP funds to pay for salaries and benefits of nurses, therapists, counselors and staff who work with Medicaid eligible students receiving special education services. Services are reimbursable from MSP only if those services are indicated on the student's IEP and are considered medically necessary.

In addition, schools can seek reimbursement for supplies and equipment related to the delivery of those services such as insulin strips, modified utensils, walkers, and assistive devices for speaking. However, these items must be used only in the school setting. Medicaid offers other ways to pay for services that are used at home. Another aspect of this new program is the recognition that the inevitable paperwork that goes along with Medicaid claiming is something that should be paid by Medicaid, and done so in a manner where nurses and therapists need not take away time from working with children to fill out forms and paperwork. Such time spent is an allowable cost in MSP, and is paid for separately from service time.

In order for MSP provider schools to receive payment for eligible services, they need to:
1. Submit interim claims for those services (see below).
2. Have employees (but not contractors) complete a Random Moment Time Study (RMTS-see below).
3. Submit a year-end cost report for all Medicaid costs.

Interim claims are designed to help school districts with cash flow. Once services are delivered, a school would file a claim and be paid based on services rates that are standardized in Ohio Administrative Code 5101:3-35-05.

The RMTS is used to calculate, at a statewide level, the percentage of time different groups of school employees are working on Medicaid-reimbursable activities. Again, contractors will not be asked to participate in RMTS, but employees such as a nurse would need to answer three short questions and enter the answers into a Web site. These results are put with other responses and each quarter a RMTS percentage is calculated which is used in the cost reconciliation. Some documentation may need to be provided as part of that process at the end of the MSP program year, which runs from October to September of each year.

While this program may require some additional efforts, there is potential for schools to recoup a respectable percent of their special education costs. In these tough economic times, schools really should seriously consider all avenues to help pay for needed services. While additional effort may be needed, nurses and other practitioners should not feel that service delivery must fundamentally shift because of Medicaid.

If you wish to find out more details about MSP, please consult the MSP rules, or by reviewing the materials available on the Ohio Department of Education's MSP page . Specific questions on MSP can be mailed to schoolmedicaid@ode.state.oh.us .

Mark Smith
Ohio Department of Education

As of our January 25th meeting, COASN membership chairman Nancy Click is proud to announce that we now have 166 members. We have members from 12 of our 14 counties. School nurses can join by going to coasn.org.

Lynn DiLoreto showed us the proposed application packet for the Research/Special Project Awards for 2009-2010 at our first board meeting and talked about it at our general membership meetings. No one applied for the 2 $250 awards by the November 30th deadline so the deadline was extended to March 5th. Persons applying would be able to use the money up until the end of 2010

We had 91 attend our January 25th meeting at Arlington banquets in Upper Arlington, a Columbus suburb. Jan Lanier RN, JD, Deputy Executive Officer, Ohio Nurses Association presented our CNE Program for which we received 1 contact hour. Many questions were answered following her topic "TLC: Can Caring Too Much Result in Board of Nursing Disciplinary Action?" The drawing for the registration fee to our 2010 NASN conference in Chicago was at the end of this meeting. I was very surprised and elated to discover my name was drawn first as this will be my third national conference. You had to be a member of COASN to be entered in the drawing. Members got a newsletter in February and will receive emails about the May 5th meeting as well as many other timely emails with information pertinent to our school nursing career. Incoming Board members will be inducted at our May meeting.

This year COASN sent a $25 check to OASN towards the OASN basket for the state school board meeting. Also in January we sent a $500 check towards OASN's legislative efforts. A gift bag was passed around at the January meeting for us to contribute to the OASN endowment fund. $155.45 was sent. Also we contributed a basket for raffle at the OASN annual meeting. Our COASN board approved our membership list being sent letters to encourage their membership in OASN/NASN. Members were encouraged to join and support school nursing in Ohio and the United States.

We are proud that our own Joan Keith, Upper Arlington will be honored at our OASN conference as Ohio School Nurse of the Year. Joan is to also be commended for the 60 hours she took to learn cvent so we could register on line to attend the OASN conference this year as well her commitment to OASN for being our rep 2 years prior to accepting the treasurer job 2009-2011. Also we appreciate the dedication that Deb Strouse continues to give to her office as President of OASN these last two years. Kate King also has served OASN as member at large and is running for President Elect. Join us after the OASN banquet to honor these special women at our after the banquet party!

Respectfully submitted,
Ann Underwood, R.N. B.S.N.
COASN Rep. to OASN

President--Deb Weisbarth
President-elect--Kris Purdy
1st Vice president--Maureen Barrett
2nd Vice-president--Rita Roth
Secretary--Pat Kovac
Treasurer--Lisa Mason
OASN Rep-- Mary Massey
Past president--Amy Anter
Newsletter--Susan Inscore
Membership--Mary Ellen Shannon

The NEOASN Annual Meeting this spring is scheduled for Saturday, April 24th. Elections will be held at this meeting. Anyone interested in getting involved as a board member is encouraged to contact our president, Deb Weisbarth or president-elect, Kris Purdy through our website, www.neoasn.org.

Our program will be presented by Dr. Krishna from The Cleveland Clinic Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center.
Date: Saturday, April 24, 2010

Place: Hillcrest Hospital conveniently located off I-271 at Mayfield Rd.

Tentative time line:
8:00 registration/sign in
8:30 general meeting/induction of officers
9:30 CCF program "Pediatric Sleep Disorders"
11:30-12:00 meeting & program ends.

We will provide a light breakfast and 2 CEUs.

E-mails will be sent to members announcing the meeting, but we encourage anyone interested to contact us and join us for this meeting. If you have any questions, contact a board member through our website, www.neoasn.org.

Mary Massey
NE Rep. to OASN

Donating items... It is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. What: Drop off your Silent Auction donations
2. Where: At the OASN Conference registration desk (across from the restrooms)
3. When: Thursday evening, Friday all day, or Saturday morning

Never been to a Silent Auction? It is as easy as A, B, C!

• Amble around the room to find the items you would like to win
• Bid on the items you want by writing your bid on the next empty line
• Check every so often to see if you still have the winning bid - updating it as often as needed to win your item

Good Luck!

The Silent Auction is Saturday in the Oakwood Room. See you there!

All proceeds benefit the OASN Endowment Fund, Enriching the Future of School Nursing

Northwest conducted a membership meeting on October 28th (another is planned for March 6th) in conjunction with continuing education programs. The following is a list of board members:

President: - Beth Roth
President Elect: - Nanci Murdock
Secretary: - Erica Spychalski
Treasurer: - Alice Bruning
Past President: - Denise Kaufman
Newsletter: - Laurie Gladieux & Denise Kaufman NW Rep to OASN: - Marie Kraus
Membership: - Ann Cipriani
Ways and Means: - Mary Schwartz
Website: Laurie Gladieux & Denise Kaufman

Membership is reported at a total of 70 members. Reminder postcards and membership renewals were distributed in the September newsletter.

The treasurer reports were reviewed and approved. The various balances in checking and CDs are performing satisfactorily in the current economic climate.

Continuing education was provided for the membership at the meeting and the topic was Marfan Syndrome. The presenters were Elizabeth Underwood RN and Mary Ann Nowacki from the Toledo Network Marfan Association. The October event was held at Stony Ridge golf club in Bowling Green, Ohio. The board is making an effort to move the meeting venues to various locations around NW Ohio to accommodate the members. The topic for the March 6th CE is Assessment Skills with various speakers planned.

Northwest did vote and approve a $500.00 donation to OASN for legislative purposes. The check was presented to OASN at their fall board meeting. Another donation to OASN will be discussed and voted on at the next membership meeting on March 6, 2010.

NWOASN, President - Beth Roth, participated as a vendor at the Diabetic Youth Services conference on September 2009 at St. Luke's Hospital. Beth promoted school nurses as an integral member of the health care team for diabetic youth.

NW is proud of our member, Denise Kaufman, who has a new position on the OASN board as the Public Relations Chairperson for OASN. Denise also participated in the ADA Walk for Diabetes on October 4, 2009. She walked on behalf of school nurses in the fight against diabetes.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Kraus, NW Rep

In the past public health agencies advised us to dispose of unwanted medication by flushing them down the toilet. However, since trace amounts of drugs have begun turning up in our drinking water, lakes and streams, that recommendation has changed. A few small steps will make a huge impact in safeguarding lives and protecting the environment by disposing of unused medicines properly.

• Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If the medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.) crush it or add water to dissolve it.
• Add kitty litter, sawdust, coffee grounds (or any material that mixes with the medication and makes it less appealing for pets and children to eat) to the plastic bag.
• Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash.
• Remove and destroy all identifying personal information

CAUTION: The Food and Drug Administration recommends that certain medications, including some opioid pain-killers, should still be flushed down the toilet instead of thrown in the trash:

 Fentanyl citrate (Actiq)
 Methylphenidate (Daytrana) transdermal patch
 Fentanyl (Duragesic) transdermal system
 Oxycodone (OxyContin) tablets
 Morphine sulfate (Avinza) capsules
 Entecavir (Baraclude) tabs
 Atazanavir sulfate (Reyataz) caps
 Gatifloxacin (Tequin)
 Stavudine (Zerif) FOR oral sol
 Meperidine HCL tabs
 Oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet)
 Sodium oxybate (Xyrem)
 Fentanyl buccal tab (Fentora)

If you have questions about disposing your medication, refer to the printed material accompanying the medication or ask your pharmacist. Source: http://smarxtdisposal.net/index.html .

Renee C Besecker, RN, BSN, MS, NCSN Executive Director Ohio Association of School Nurses

Approximately 80 percent of what a child learns is learned visually. Early detection and treatment of vision disorders are important to maximize a child's visual potential. The longer eye conditions are left untreated, the more likely they are to worsen, affecting learning ability, athletic performance and self-esteem. Nationally, only 38% of three year olds are screened for vision problems. Well-child check ups offer the primary care provider an opportunity, on a yearly basis, to screen the child's vision for potential vision problems that can worsen and become more difficult to successfully treat if left until age six or seven.

"Vision problems affect one in four school-age children and one in twenty preschoolers, which is why regular vision care for children is so important," said Sherill Williams, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio.

To increase the visual quality of life for Ohio's children, Prevent Blindness Ohio is offering FREE 4 hour trainings that will provide instruction on how to perform preschool vision screenings, including:

--Instruction on how to perform stereopsis and distance visual acuity screening,
--Detailed information on childhood eye diseases and disorders,
--Preschool Vision Screening Guide for Healthcare Professionals: published in partnership with Prevent Blindness America and American Academy of Pediatrics,
--Preschool Vision Screening Guidelines: published by the Ohio Dept. of Health,
--Sample referral and follow up resources and access to no cost eye exams and eyeglasses for qualifying families.

Upon successful completion of the training, as well as a two-hour homework component, participants will be certified with Prevent Blindness America. Prevent Blindness America is the only organization offering a national certification program for pediatric vision screening and vision screening training.

Expectations of participants receiving Preschool Vision Screening Certification:

1. To conduct vision screenings according to the established guidelines as presented in the training class,
2. To document the number of children screened and referred to an eye care provider and to provide this information to Prevent Blindness Ohio, upon request, and
3. To participate as requested in the Vision Screener's Survey conducted by Prevent Blindness Ohio.

Participants are also eligible to receive free vision screening equipment (a $300 value) that includes:

--Lea Symbol Chart for Screening for visual acuity
--Model A Good-Lite Visual Acuity cabinet
--Random Dot E stereopsis test
--Assorted children's vision care resources and brochures.

PRESCHOOL Training sessions are scheduled for the following dates and locations.

Cincinnati:
3/30/10 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
CUB Early Learning Academy
Camp Washington
1054 Heywood Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45225

Cleveland:
3/11/10 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
The Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland
12201 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106

Columbus:
3/15/10 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Westerville Public Library
126 S. State St., Westerville, OH 43081

Dayton:
3/18/10 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
2600 DeWeese Pkwy., Dayton, OH 45414

Newark:
3/24/10 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm
The Works Museum
55 South First Street, Newark, OH 43058

Toledo:
3/26/10 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Mercy College, Upper McAuley Room
2200 Jefferson Avenue
Toledo, OH 43604

To register for a training, mail or fax this form ( scroll down to third page to print off form) back to Prevent Blindness Ohio, attention: Julie Rock, 1500 W. Third Ave., Suite 200, Columbus, OH 43212. Fax: 614.481.9670.

You can also register online at: www.pbohio.org.

B-WISER -Camp
June 20-25, 2010
Designed for girls entering the 8th grade for the 10-11 school year.

I urge you to have 7th grade girls apply to attend the B-Wiser Institute ( The Buckeye Women in Science, Engineering and Research Institute). This camp is located on the College of Wooster campus and is great fun!!! I've been the camp nurse for this wonderful camp where girls get to do lots of hands on experiments learning about all different kinds of sciences. Excellent science teachers from around the state provide six- fifty minute classes Monday through Thursday about robotics, physics, chemistry, earth science, energy conservation, and life science. On Friday's, the campers learn from women exemplars about many fields of science. The girls also have some free time to go swimming or play tennis, etc. They are never bored!!! The camp is limited to 100 applicants. Girls interested may go to the website at www.wooster.edu/bwiser. An alumni camp is offered to girls who attended the previous year to come back to learn physics more in depth, astronomy and forensic science. Girls who attend both camps can apply to The College of Wooster to get a scholarship to get a degree in science.

B-Wiser, is a six -day camp and costs only $475. The camp does have scholarships available for students in the reduced lunch program. A great way to distribute information about the camp, is to show to your seventh grade science teachers and students this spring. Each camper requires a written recommendation from their science teacher.

You may have connections with local clubs like the Rotary, Lions club, Masonic lodges who would sponsor a girl for most but not all of the cost. We found those that didn't pay anything were not as appreciative. Thank you for getting the word out about this great camp. Feel free to email me if you have questions.

Ann Underwood, centralrep@oasn.org

OASN SIGNS ON --- Healthy Choices for Healthy Children Act

HB 373 and SB 210, bipartisn legislation, better known as Healthy Choices for Healthy Children Act, were introduced in November, 2009. A coalition of supporters has been developed with the Ohio Business Round Table being at the core of the coalition. The Act is comprehensive in that it addresses school nutrition, increased physical activity, and BMI screening for certain grade levels. The sponsors for the House are Lynn Wachtmann and John P Carney, for the Senate, Kevin Coughlin and Eric Kearney.

OASN has signed on as a coalition member and participates with other members in Monday afternoon conference calls led by Jessie Cannon of the OBRT. We have some concerns, such as a November 1st completion date for BMI screening (K screening already mandated as complete by that date), but that has been addressed with Jessie Cannon and she thinks it is an easily resolved issue.

Letters of support will be needed in the near future, a template will be sent out as a model to use to send to legislators. This is another opportunity to demonstrate that Ohio School Nurses are in the forefront in promoting good health for Ohio school children. Watch for more developments.

Renee C Besecker, RN, BSN, MS, NCSN
Executive Director
Ohio Association of School Nurses