Located within the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico lies the small town of Cloudcroft, where School Nurse Mandy Ross, BSN, RN and Health Assistant Dani McNatt take care of students from Kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. Recently, Goodside Health expanded services into the New Mexico region and partnered with Cloudcroft Municipal Schools to further our mission of closing the gaps in children’s healthcare.

“Our school is committed to offering health support for our students. We recently took a significant step forward in prioritizing student health by partnering with Goodside Health to expand access to care.” Nurse Mandy and Health Assistant Dani said.

For the past three years, Nurse Mandy and Health Assistant Dani have played integral parts in their community’s health and wellbeing. Small, rural towns, like Cloudcroft, often struggle with access to healthcare and some kids don’t see a provider for years. SchoolMed helps close that gap for those in need.

“Some of our students would not have seen a medical provider if SchoolMed wasn’t offered to them. They are able to be evaluated and have a treatment plan before they leave the school. We’ve also helped keep students in class who might have otherwise been sent home with a referral for a doctor’s visit or urgent care evaluation.” they said.

Keeping students in class and learning is a priority for every district, but making sure each child is happy and healthy is the first step in providing an environment ready for academic success. Sometimes, this means conducting contact tracing for contagious illnesses to help prevent further spread.

“We had a student come to school with a rash and not feeling well for the past few days, and it turned out the student tested positive for strep. The parent requested the siblings be tested for strep, and it turned out all the children in the household had strep. The antibiotic was called into the pharmacy, and the family started the treatment plan. It has been great to help meet the needs of our school families and offer improved access to healthcare.”

Always ready to tackle any challenge, Nurse Mandy and Health Assistant Dani exemplify what it means to be School Health Advocates for their community.

Thank you, Nurse Mandy and Health Assistant Dani, for always putting your student’s health first and closing the gaps in children’s healthcare for Cloudcroft Municipal Schools!