Nursing Services
School Health Advocacy Program
Cedar Springs Public Schools and Spectrum Health:
Working Together to Provide On-Site Healthcare Services for Students
The goal of the Health Advocacy Program (HAP) is to help keep students healthy, in school and ready to learn. With the provision of on-site clinical services and structured health education, we can: promote healthy lifestyles, prevent disease, increase response time for medical emergencies, and minimize the impact of illness and disability on a student’s education. Students perform their best when they feel their best.
The Healthcare Team
Developing relationships between students, their families, staff, and healthcare providers is a vital part of the healthcare experience at school. Relationship-based care requires all stakeholders to participate in order to maximize the effectiveness of the Registered Nurse (RN) who facilitates case management of at risk students, thus improving access to critical medical, dental, and social services. As a result, more students receive timely and well coordinated healthcare, increasing the ability to attend school and participate as an active learner. The members of the healthcare team at CSPS are:
●Two registered nurses (1.5 for the district): Tracy Zamarron, MSN RN & Raquel Ahern, BSN RN
●Trained secretaries
The RNs at CSPS provide professional nursing services and manage the school health advocacy program. They can be summoned by phone or hand held radio for consultation at all times. In addition, the RNs supervise and support school secretaries who are trained to participate in the program.
Nursing Services
●Manage students with chronic conditions such as asthma, allergies, diabetes, and seizures.
●Coordinate communication of student health care needs to staff.
●Assessment of acute illness or injury.
●Respond to emergency care of students and staff.
●HIV/AIDS classroom instruction.
●CPR/First Aid training for staff.
●Immunization IP reporting to Kent County Health Department.
●Develop Individualized Healthcare Plans for students with medical conditions.
●Coordinate dental referrals with Cherry Street.
●Coordinate vision and hearing screening with Kent County Health Department.
●Train and supervise medication administration by school personnel.
●Monitor and report communicable diseases.
●Head lice screening and education.
●Protective Service referrals.
If your child will be taking prescription or over the counter medications at school or has a chronic condition such as asthma, life-threatening allergies, or seizures, the following forms can be downloaded for your convenience. Also included are immunization schedules for school age children and a head injury instruction sheet for reference at home.
Health Forms
Permission Form for Prescribed Medication
School-Based Asthma Mangement Plan
Emergency Action Plan for Life-Threatening Food Allergies
Emergency Action Plan for Life-Threatening Allergies
Emergency Action Plan for Seizures
School Immunization Requirements
CDC Head Injury Instruction Sheet
Tracy Zamarron, MSN RN
Raquel Ahern, BSN RN
District School Nurses-Cedar Springs Public Schools
Spectrum Health System
(616)696-1204 ext.6300
Tracy.Zamarron@csredhawks.org
Raquel.Ahern@csredhawks.org