Puyallup students would get to see a doctor at school, virtually, with pilot program
Students and families in the Puyallup School District can’t virtually seek treatment from a doctor yet, but the school board is considering offering that service.
The Puyallup School Board discussed the possibility of expanding their partnership with Hazel Health during the Jan. 24 school board meeting. The board considered if the district should begin offering physical telehealth services at home and school.
Hazel Health is “the largest and most trusted telehealth provider for K-12 schools,” according to the school district’s website. It provides short-term therapy visits for issues such as anxiety, depression and bullying. Students can also get referred to local providers to receive continued care.
Through Hazel Health, the school district has been offering mental telehealth services at no cost to students and families since October 2021. Students can have up to six virtual sessions for free, according to the district’s website.
No action was taken at the school board meeting, but board members are still considering the possibility of adding physical telehealth services, school district spokesperson Sarah Gillispie wrote in an email. It is unknown if they will be discussing it at the next board meeting.
If the school board voted to expand and include physical telehealth services, the district would launch a pilot program at Rogers High School. There would be a kiosk set up in the health room, Gillispie wrote.
Hazel Health’s physical telehealth services allow students and families to seek care for common ailments such as headaches, stomachaches and minor injuries, Vincent Pecchia, assistant superintendent for equity and instructional leadership, said during the school board meeting.
Students and families would be able to seek physical telehealth services from home from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday as well as in-person during school hours, Pecchia said.
“Connecting students and families to resources that promote success in schools is a main focus in our recovery efforts,” Gillispie said when asked if there is a need for physical telehealth services.
School board member Maddie Names said providing students with mental telehealth services is an easy decision as not a lot of students and families have access to that. Offering physical telehealth services is different, she said.
“Do I believe that having health care for our students is important? Absolutely … but where do we come back and realize that we’re educators … this is where we should be focusing the majority of our time,” Names said during the school board meeting.
School board member David Berg said the state does not have enough funds to support all nurses in the district. Having physical telehealth services adds “a tremendous value” for everyone as it will help school staff focus on other things, he said.
“Getting a child to a health care provider is something that not everybody has access to,” Berg said. “We have lots of parents who are working long hours … the more opportunities that we have … the better off our families will be.”
The school district has had about 416 visits for mental telehealth services since school began, Gillispie wrote. About 73 percent of those visits occurred at home.
Families that are interested in learning more about Hazel Health’s services can call 253-215-8700 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. or contact their child’s school counselor.
This story was originally published January 30, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
