Medicine has evolved to identify, treat and fix health conditions that seemed insurmountable. Similarly, chronic challenges such as graduation rates, student success rates in college can be overcome if strategic approaches and solutions can be done with the same degree of integrity and stringent accountability as seen in the clinical trials. ACCESS health is designed to engage and involve students in their own health status, understanding of their strength and areas of improvement with knowledge to take charge of their health. This strategy is designed to strengthen student's knowledge in healthcare and also to provide the self confidence identify a solution to overcome challenges at school.
Student focused ACCESS Health inculcates fundamentals of good health with emphasis on chronic disease model (diabetes, hypertension) to get tested, educated and provided with tools to manage their individual and also their family health.
ACCESS Health model establishes a local partnership between the school district, local/regional hospital and healthcare focused academic institutions for Nursing, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Physicians.
ACCESS Health implementation strategy:
School district and local/regional hospital contract with ACCESS Health program. Pilot student group (typically in the middle school) are identified. With written permission from the parents, students of this pilot group undergo a diabetic screening program. ACCESS Health provides an online personal health record system that is designed to be HIPAA compliant, and also provides an opportunity for the student to establish and manage online medical records for the entire family.
District integrates chronic disease concepts into health and nutrition curriculum in addition to incorporating cardiovascular exercise routines into the PE schedule. Students create online personal health records for themselves and upload the health screening data specific to themselves. Local hospital provides chronic disease management classes online for parents & guardians to attend onsite at the district.
Students interested in health careers are also given an opportunity to get access to mentors who are actively engaged in the healthcare environment professionally. With this cycle of screening, testing, learning and engaging students develop proficiency in not only chronic disease management for themselves, but also help their family members to engage with the district not only from an education perspective, but also from a healthcare viewpoint.
ACCESS Health mission is to strengthen family health essentials modeled after the characteristics of Hercules, the Olympian god of Health, Athletics and Heroic Endeavour.