Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Telehealth topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board tables telehealth policy after members seek more time to resolve equity and implementation concerns
Summary
Board members voted 6'ad4 to table a proposed telehealth policy the district posted for public comment; members raised questions about required facilities, staffing, equity across schools and whether the policy should be embedded in district procedure or board policy.
The Harford County Board of Education voted April 14 to table a proposed student telehealth policy after members raised questions about equity, staffing, and whether the policy in its current form would hand routine operational details to administration without sufficient board oversight.
Bernard Hennigan, assistant superintendent for student support services, presented the policy revision and said the district had posted a version that incorporated public comments and clarified that parents must be present, in person or virtually, during student telehealth visits. Hennigan said the policy had been revised to add that requirement and linked a detailed telehealth procedure for school staff to follow.
Several board members expressed concerns. Vice President Hahn and others said they supported the concept as written into law but wanted more clarity on implementation: whether every school had an appropriate private space or ADA-compliant rooms; how staffing would be handled so that principals would not have to assign staff members to wait during appointments; and whether the state requirement had accompanying funding. Board member Lauren Coker said she wanted to consult medical professionals about how school staff would support telehealth visits.
Board members also debated a governance issue: whether specifics in the written procedure are suitable to be linked from policy or whether the board should include certain criteria directly in policy so the board retains oversight of substantive elements. Several members asked for a working session with the administration and with members of the county delegation before finalizing the policy.
A motion to table the policy passed in a roll-call vote, 6'ad4. The roll call recorded: Alvarez (yes); Bruce (no); Kocher (yes); Mueller (no); Pizzoke (yes); Perry (no); Sewell (no); Strauss (yes); Vice President Hahn (yes); President Poitna (yes). District staff said the legislation that generated the district requirement sets a July 1 implementation target; the administration said it will schedule a work session so board members can examine implementation details and return the item to a future public meeting if changes are needed.
