§ 7-415. School Health Program

   (a) Established. --

   (1) There is a School Health Program.

   (2) The general purpose of the Program is to implement a program in two areas of this State in which portions of the population currently are underserved.

   (3) The Program is designed to:

      (i) Improve the health of school age children in this State; and

      (ii) Provide reports on the performance of the Program.

   (4) Each of the two areas of this State shall be served by separate and equal component parts. One part of the Program will be operated in Baltimore City and the other in Caroline County.

(b) Purposes and objectives. --

   (1) The specific purposes and objectives of the Program operated in Baltimore City are:

      (i) To encourage and promote appropriate and cost effective use of health care services;

      (ii) To reduce unnecessary use of hospital emergency room services;

      (iii) To demonstrate the efficacy of involving parents, students, and community organizations in school health programs, particularly with regard to recruiting and retaining students in school health programs; and

      (iv) To assess whether school health programs could be used as a basis for advising other family members of the student of other sources of primary care.

   (2) The specific purposes and objectives of the Program operated in Caroline County are:

      (i) To concentrate on the early identification, health counseling, and referral for mental health problems to prevent suicides;

      (ii) To assess whether school health programs could be used as a basis for advising other family members of the student of other sources of primary care; and

      (iii) To provide the following health and referral services for students:

         1. First aid;

         2. Physical exams and sports physicals;

         3. Care for minor and chronic illnesses;

         4. Immunizations;

         5. Preventive health education services;

         6. Referrals for counseling at the County Health Department; and

         7. Social services referrals.

(c) Use of funds. --

   (1) Funds for this Program shall be used to acquire:

      (i) For the Baltimore City Program, the services of one full-time nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or other appropriate health care provider; and

      (ii) For the Caroline County Program, the services of one full-time nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or other appropriate health care provider.

   (2) The local subdivisions shall be reimbursed for the purchase of necessary supplies for the Program.

   (3) The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene or the Baltimore City Health Department shall designate a part-time health research design analyst:

      (i) To work with the local subdivisions to collect and analyze data during the Program period; and

      (ii) Subject to § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, to prepare the reports to the General Assembly and the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene on July 1, 1992, July 1, 1997, and July 1, 2001 on the status and success of the Program.

(d) Parental consent form. -- The Program staff shall develop or appropriately adapt an existing parental consent form for the provision of health services.

HISTORY: 1980, ch. 754; 1982, ch. 911, § 10; 1985, ch. 10, § 3; 1991, ch. 114; 1996, ch. 10, § 16; 1997, chs. 358, 553; ch. 635, § 9; ch. 636, § 9; 1998, ch. 20, § 1.