Better Health, Better Learning Report - July 2017 SCORE Better Health Better Learning Report_July 20 | Page 15

Additional resources in schools to expand access to
health services could lead to gains in both student
health and academic achievement. In Tennessee,
health professional-to-student ratios in many areas lag
behind national standards. The Association of School
Nurses, for example, advises a ratio no greater than
one nurse for every 750 students to maintain a safe
school environment, compared to the funded ratio in
Tennessee of 3,000:1. Fewer than half of Tennessee
schools employ full-time nurses. 37 The School Social
Work Association of America recommends a ratio
of 250:1, while the National Association of School
Psychologists advises a ratio of no more than 700:1. 38
Professionals from these fields in Tennessee generally
face far larger student caseloads, making it difficult to
provide the level of care many students need.
In Tennessee, videoconferencing technology has
allowed greater access to health care in recent
years. Both rural and urban districts in Tennessee
use telemedicine to expand access to medical
professionals for students. According to the TDOE’s
Office of Coordinated School Health, “Of the 155
schools that provided clinic services in 2015-16, 77
percent used telemedicine.” 39 Videoconferencing
technology allows doctors and nurses to visit with
patients and provide a diagnosis without being on site.
Continued expansion of this technology-based solution
to health care access holds promise for students, but
schools and districts continue to need added personnel
to address the chronic conditions many students across
Tennessee experience.
The Niswonger Virtual
Health Clinic is available
in 66 schools across the
state. Through this service,
health practitioners are
able to help students with
symptoms ranging from
fever and sore throat to
limb sprains and chronic
illnesses.
Source: Elizabethton Star, May 2, 2017
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