Mississippi News
Free telehealth services coming to public schools this fall
Free telehealth services coming to Mississippi public schools this fall
Mississippi public schools will have access to mental and health care services for students for free as soon as August, education officials announced Thursday.
The Mississippi Department of Education approved a $17.6 million grant for telehealth and teletherapy services available within schools provided by the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
The Department of Education initially planned to begin with a pilot program, but then decided to launch the program statewide instead.
“The more we started finding out about (telehealth services), we really felt that if there was an organization or entity that could just launch this statewide and get more children access to it, then why not?” said Carey Wright, state superintendent of education.
The program is being funded by the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) and will last from July 2022 through September 2024. The program will start serving its first schools at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.
The grant will cover laptops for video conferencing and specially equipped stethoscopes and otoscopes that transmit information to the doctors or nurse practitioners on the other end of the call.
Healthcare providers will supply urgent care, mental health care, remote patient monitoring, and specialty consultations to children in any district across the state that has access to a school nurse.
“When you really look at the distribution of doctors in Mississippi, you have plenty in Jackson, Hattiesburg, Tupelo, and Biloxi, but you get out to (those rural counties) and you are really in a health care desert,” said Dr. John Gaudet, a Hattiesburg pediatrician and former president of the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Telehealth is a way to keep kids learning, keep kids engaged in school and keep from having to pull them out to drive 40 miles for an appointment that could've been accomplished rapidly and easily by telehealth.”
The pandemic has also caused increasing mental health issues for children, which Wright says this program also aims to address.
“Statewide, we need to do a really good job of training our teachers and leaders on the signs and symptoms of children and adults that are struggling from mental health and social-emotional issues, and this will give them the great platform to gain access (to treatment) through our school nurses,” said Wright.
The grant specifically partners with the UMMC Center for Telehealth, which has been recognized nationally for excellence in telehealth.
“Healthy children learn, and children that aren't healthy don't,” Wright said. “If we could provide a way to make sure that our children are healthy and, if need be, families are healthy or staff are healthy and make the access that much easier…then that's one thing we can cross off the list and don't have to worry about anymore.”
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Mom says 8-year-old trampled at Southaven Springfest brawl
SUMMARY: An 8-year-old boy, Tylen Shaw, was trampled and suffered a broken arm and bruises at Southaven Springfest after a brawl broke out. His mother, Tyneshia West, rushed him to the hospital and now has to teach him to write with his left hand. The incident started with a fight involving teenagers, causing chaos and resulting in the festival closing early. Shaw's mother says he just wanted to enjoy rides and sweets that night. Southaven officials plan to release a statement on the incident. Shaw is still in pain but is doing better.
The post Mom says 8-year-old trampled at Southaven Springfest brawl appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Mississippi DPS asks judge to dissolve restraining order in Dau Mabil case
SUMMARY: The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is asking a judge to dissolve a restraining order blocking the release of Dau Mabil's remains. The order was filed without proper notice to the department. Dau went missing on March 25 and his body was found on April 13. An autopsy showed no foul play, but further testing is needed. Dau's wife, Karissa Bowley, has agreed to an additional autopsy but only after law enforcement completes their investigation. U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson has requested a Department of Justice investigation. The court will not consider Bowley's request until April 30.
The post Mississippi DPS asks judge to dissolve restraining order in Dau Mabil case appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Street closings begin May 3
SUMMARY: Market Street Festival in Columbus, Mississippi will begin Friday evening with street closures in downtown area lasting until Sunday at noon. Streets will close at different times, and any vehicles not moved from blocked areas will be towed at the owner's expense. Special entrances and parking lot closures are also in effect. The festival hours are from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon. For more information, visit the festival's website or Facebook page. Contact Main Street Columbus office or Columbus Police Department for any questions. The festival aims to bring together the local community for a fun-filled weekend of events.
The post Street closings begin May 3 appeared first on www.wcbi.com
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