As the calendar turns to November and the excitement for the holiday break builds, so do concerns over a predicted difficult cold and flu season. International trends indicate this flu season is likely to see an increase case numbers more quickly than in previous seasons.

Data compiled from SchoolMed visits throughout the past month corroborates this trend, showing a significant increase in student SchoolMed visits from August through mid-October. See below for more SchoolMed insights, as well as simple tips to keep campus communities safe and healthy as we head into the holiday season.

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Good News from October 2022

• Funding Health and Safety Programs – A Resource for School Leaders. Our team of experts compiled this quick reference list of common funding opportunities and links – as well as timelines – that your school, district, or system may find helpful in the pursuit of expanding health and safety programming.

• SchoolMed is working to keep students healthy and in class. Goodside Health providers are seeing a year-over-year increase in SchoolMed visits. For visits that included a rapid point-of-care test, October saw a 50% positivity rate for Strep, a 20% positivity rate for Flu A, and the first signs of Flu B’s emergence with an 8% positivity rate.

• Lufkin Daily News highlights first-of-its-kind partnership between Huntington ISD and Goodside Health. Huntington ISD’s ‘Relentless Pursuit To Get Better’ led them to bring the novel mental health assistance program to students across its middle and high school campuses.

• Thank you, School Health Advocates Arianna Cortez and Adriana Montoya at IDEA Mission in Texas! Read how they are true advocates for their students and making a difference in their school and community through the SchoolMed program.

• See Forney ISD’s Video as They Bring SchoolMed to Every Campus. Forney ISD shared their district-produced video with the masses as they evangelize the excitement around school-based healthcare across the district. Thank you for your leadership, Forney ISD!

• Did you Receive Your Mid-Year Marketing Packages? Our team distributed our mid-semester marketing package to every SchoolMed partner, and already districts like Alief ISD and Cleburne ISD are sharing it with their communities! Haven’t seen it but want to? Contact us today.

• Goodside Health is Focused on Children’s Health Every Da, Especially on National Child Health Day! This day serves as an important reminder of the steps we can take to ensure that every child has the chance to grow up healthy and happy.

• Thank you, PAs! Celebrating National Physician Associate Week. We are especially grateful to our PAs, and PAs, everywhere for their commitment to closing the gaps in children’s healthcare.

• Centering the Conversation on Wellness This Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). Through our partnerships with local and national providers, hundreds of school districts, and millions of eligible students and their families, we strive to expand access to vital services and share the power of lived experience.

• MARWeek 2022: Medical Assistants are Magic! Goodside Health joins with the American Association of Medical Assistants in celebrating MAs this and throughout the year.

• All this and so much more … be sure to check out all of the Good News.

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SchoolMed Monthly Insight

Insights from our Goodside Health provider teams give insight into what to expect as cold and flu season ramps up. Here’s a look at what our team, and the medical community at large, have to say about the upcoming winter season.

• Beware of Staph in Student Athletes! The fall and winter season sees increased rates of staph infection, especially among student-athletes. Early detection and treatment can limit the spread to other players and keep kid’s on the field.

• Cold and Flu Season Has Begun. Trend reports from our Goodside Health provider team show a slight resurgence in COVID and both Flu A and Flu B. Flu A is presenting as a headache or high fever, while Flu B is showing symptoms similar to the common cold, like aches, chills, and a sore throat, among others.

• What to Expect This Cold and Flu Season? Colds and flu can look very similar, though in general, influenza is more intense than colds. Rapid testing will help distinguish colds, influenza, and COVID. This chart provides a quick reference to demonstrate the difference between the common cold and the flu.

• Keep Your Eyes on the Numbers. The Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report will keep you informed as the flu season progresses.

• Will We Experience a “Tripledemic” this Year? We hope not! Still, medical professionals are warning the public of high rates of Respiratory syncytial virus (R.S.V.) showing up in addition to the cold, flu, and COVID we have been hearing about. R.S.V. can be dangerous for children; learn more about R.S.V. from transmission to treatment here.

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Thank you for joining us in our mission to close the gaps in children’s healthcare through innovation and execution.

To those yet to join the SchoolMed movement, let’s talk about the impact that SchoolMed can make for students (and staff!) in your district. Click here to schedule time with us today!

Your Partner in Whole Child Health,