Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Venus ISD nurse asks board to approve district physician partner and join Asthma 4:11 program
Summary
Melissa Summers, the district nurse for Venus ISD, asked the board to authorize a paid district physician partner and free enrollment in Asthma 4:11 to allow nurses to use standing medical orders and to keep students in class.
Melissa Summers, the district nurse for Venus ISD, asked the board to authorize two health-safety initiatives: a paid district physician partnership with Dr. Michelle Beason and participation in the Asthma 4:11 program.
Summers told trustees the physician partnership would allow Dr. Beason to issue standing orders so school nurses could legally administer common over‑the‑counter medicines and emergency epinephrine “in compliance with the Texas Board of Nursing and Nursing Regulations, along with our Nursing Practice Act.” She said the standing orders would reduce unnecessary student absences and trips home for minor complaints such as headaches, stomachaches or allergic reactions.
“We also have orders on here for like Benadryl, Tums, triple antibiotics, stuff that we use in our offices regularly,” Summers said, adding that standing orders “protect our nursing licenses.” She said Dr. Beason would also consult on district health issues, participate on the SHAC committee, interpret public‑health law and assist with emergency care planning.
Summers described the Asthma 4:11 program as a no‑cost public‑health initiative that provides districts with rescue albuterol inhalers, spacers for emergency campus use, training and family‑connection resources. “It keeps kids in class, supports academic performance, and ensures we’re taking protective steps to safeguard our student health,” she said.
Board members asked procedural questions about the partnership. One trustee asked whether Dr. Beason would serve via telehealth; Summers replied Dr. Beason would be an on‑call medical partner and consultant rather than a telemedicine provider, and that Cook Children’s telehealth is available separately for direct clinical consults. The board also clarified that standing orders would allow nurses to give dose‑specific medications (for example, Tylenol) with prior parental consent so students could remain in class while a parent travels to campus.
Summers identified the anticipated costs: the physician partner would cost the district $1,000 per year and Asthma 4:11 is offered free to districts. Trustees asked whether the fee covered the whole district or per campus; Summers confirmed the $1,000 is “just for the whole district.”
No formal vote was taken at the meeting. Summers confirmed to the board that the item will be brought back for a formal vote at the next board meeting.
If trustees approve at the next meeting, the district would add Dr. Beason’s standing orders and receive emergency albuterol inhalers and staff training through Asthma 4:11. The board did not set an implementation date during the discussion.
