Quick Links

Contact

Beka Urgessa, RN, BSN, MSN (he, him)
Senior Administrator, School Health Services
Dept. of Health and Human Services
401 Hungerford Drive, 2nd Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 240-777-1550
Fax: 240-777-1860

Shauna-Kay Jorandby
Director, Student Well-Being
Montgomery County Public Schools
850 Hungerford Drive
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 240-740-5628

School Health Services

Working Together to Promote the Health, Safety, and Well-being of Students

School Health Services MCPS The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, School Health Services (SHS), in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), provide services to assure the health, safety, and well-being of over 162,000 students enrolled in MCPS schools. The SHS School Community Health Nurses (registered nurses) and School Health Room Technicians (certified nursing assistants who work under the clinical oversight of a School Community Health Nurse), provide essential school health services to students during school hours.

Immunization Requirements

All students attending MCPS schools are required to submit immunization information at enrollment and when new immunizations are received. Students not in compliance with Maryland vaccination requirements will be excluded from attending school until they provide documentation of required immunizations. Parent/guardians should contact their health care provider to make sure their child is properly immunized and submit a copy of the documentation to the child's school health nurse as soon as possible.

The State of Maryland additionally requires that all 7th grade students receive vaccination against Tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) and Meningococcal meningitis (MCV4) prior to the start of the school year. Students in Grades 8 through 12 are required to have one Tdap and MCV4 vaccination. Please refer to Quick Links for Maryland Vaccination Requirements. The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) offers Immunization Clinics to ensure all students have a chance to receive the necessary immunizations. Contact your student's health room for more information. Maryland state immunization requirement information is at Maryland Department of Health Center for Immunization.

What We Do

SHS assesses the health needs of students, provides sick and emergency care, monitors to assure immunization compliance, manages communicable diseases, administers medications and treatments to students who have authorized health care provider’s orders, and maintains student health records. Staff members refer families of eligible uninsured students to the Montgomery County Office of Eligibility and Special Services.
School Community Health Nurses provide consultation on health issues related to Individualized Education Programs and Section 504 Accommodation Plans. They provide case management for students with special health needs and chronic health conditions, and link students and families to community resources.
SHS collaborates with public and private partners to plan and implement prevention initiatives to address community-wide public health concerns, such as childhood obesity, asthma, diabetes, oral health, minority disparities, and barriers to health care.
In accordance with Maryland State Law, students in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will be screened by trained School Health Services staff for vision and hearing concerns in Pre-Kindergarten, Head Start, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 8, and for students new to MCPS. Teachers may also refer students to be screened if they notice problems with vision or hearing in the classroom. Parents/guardians will be notified if their student is referred for further evaluation. Families should contact their school nurse for assistance in locating resources. If families do not want their child to be screened, please provide a written request to the school nurse.
The School Health Lead Program assures compliance with Maryland requirements by notifying parents of students in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and Grade 1 of the requirements to complete the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Blood Lead Testing Certificate.
SHS oversees the Head Start Early Childhood Program’s health services, which provides screenings and connects students to medical and dental services.
SHS staff members working at the SHS Immunization Center located at the Rocking Horse Road Center, provide immunizations and tuberculosis screenings to newly enrolling international students, and to students returning to the U.S. after living abroad for one year or more.