It may not happen very often, but it happens. One Erie seventh grader, a bit on the heavy side, turned out to have high blood pressure — high enough to be red-flagged in a routine school screening.
That's when nurse Debra Feeney — nurse Debbie to everyone — using the Highmark Healthy High 5 Health eTools for Schools, a secure, Web-based portal that enables schools to comply with federal and state mandates for improving student wellness, was able to document her concerns and alert the boy's parents.
"We've now been keeping track of his blood pressure and health habits," Feeney says. "He's choosing more fruits and vegetables rather than fatty foods. And he's more active."
In Erie, many schools using Health eTools for Schools to monitor students' Body Mass Index (BMI) have increased their programming about food — and student activities.
In the Erie area, nurses at more than 40 schools are using Health eTools to record student health data more efficiently, freeing up time to address student health concerns.
For example, at JoAnna Connell Elementary School, they've got the Connell Morning Movers. Five days a week, from 7:45 a.m. to 8 a.m., kids walk around the building, run relay races, jump rope and shoot hoops. "It gives them an outlet before they do the more sedentary things," Feeney says.
Other schools in the district have added Dance Dance Revolution and Boot Camp to increase fitness. What's more, they're charting how much the activities — and healthy eating — help each child. "With Health eTools," Feeney says, "we're able to keep accurate records of the kids' health stats."
For the kids, it's plenty of fun. "And, they like being part of a group that's working toward better health," she says.
Learn more about Highmark Healthy High 5 Health eTools for Schools.
This story was originally published in an April 5, 2009, advertising supplement for Highmark Healthy High 5.