POSITION DESCRIPTION – SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
The
Gardner School Committee develops a contract with the school
physician/physician consultant, which includes the employment terms, as well as
the specific responsibilities. This
contract shall be reviewed and/or updated at least every two years.
Scope of Responsibilities
The
school physician/physician consultant contracts with the Gardner Public Schools
to provide medical expertise and consultation in the development and
implementation of the comprehensive school health program. The school nurse may request consultation on
individual students or groups of students with specific health issues at any
time. The school physician acts as a
resource.
Qualifications
- Must have a valid license to practice medicine in the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts (M.G.L. c.71, s. 53)
- Knowledgeable about the health needs of children and adolescents.
Additional Suggested Qualifications
The
school physician/physician consultant should, in addition, be board certified
or board eligible in pediatrics or family practice. When the primary student population includes adolescents, the
medical consultant or school physician should have additional education in the
subspecialty of adolescent medicine.
Responsibilities
Consultation to
the Comprehensive School Health Program
- Provides general consultation to school nurse and to the school
district on matters relating to he health of the school population;
- Collaborates with the school nurses in identifying the need for
and developing policies and procedures governing school health services
for individuals or groups of students, which are then shared with the
School Committee for adoption;
- Participates as a member of the School Health Advisory Committee;
- Provides consultation on the development of policies pertinent to
the health and safety of the school, e.g., emergency care plan, first aid
program, bee sting protocol, HIV/AIDS, environmental safety, athletic
safety;
- Collaborates with the school nurse, school administrators and
other pertinent school personnel, as well as the Department of Public
Health, to develop and implement a program for immunization against
communicable diseases and control of other infectious illnesses, e.g.,
bloodborne illnesses, parasitic diseases, and tuberculosis; assists in
developing policies on exclusion and readmission of students based on the
aforementioned conditions;
- Collaborates with the interdisciplinary comprehensive school
health education staff to develop educational programs specific to the
current needs of student, faculty and parent groups on topics such as
nutrition, child development, family life, sexuality, HIV/AIDS prevention,
etc.;
- Collaborates with the school nurses, teachers, support staff, and
parents on specific health issues of individual students as they relate to
the school setting, including classroom management of the child with
physical or emotional problems;
- When indicated or requested by the school nurse, communicates with
the child’s primary physician on medical issues pertinent to the school
setting;
- When indicated or requested by the school nurse, reviews the
reports of physical examinations performed by the student’s primary care
provider.
Physical
Assessment
- Completes the health assessments on such children who do not have
this service performed by a primary care provider;
- Provides the physical examination of children applying for health
certificates in order to obtain employment permits under M.G.L. c. 149, s.
87 and students participating in competitive or contact sports, prior to
that participation (for students who do not have this service performed by
a primary care provider);
- Examines students referred by the school nurse or other personnel
because of health issues identified during screening and/or frequent
school absences (if this service is not provided by a primary care
provider);
- Conducts physical examinations on children as needed for special
education assessment.
Health Education
In
collaboration with the comprehensive health education staff, assists in
presenting educational programs as needed by faculty, parents and students.
Availability at
Interscholastic Football Games
M.G.L.
c. 71, s. 54A requires assignment of a physician or a person trained in
emergency medical care to interscholastic football games played by teams
representing public secondary schools.
Coordination with
Community Providers
In
collaboration with the school nurse, interprets the needs and responsibilities
of the school.
[Adopted:
June 2003]
Legal
References: M.G.L. Ch. 71, Section 53; Ch. 71, Section 54A