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Parents, staff back keeping EMD telehealth; community hospital offers alternative in Johnson County
Summary
A parent and staff survey found strong support for continuing the district's current telehealth provider, EMD, and Johnson County Community Hospital offered to join a vendor procurement process if the district issues an RFP.
Johnson County School officials reviewed results of a parent and staff survey on school telehealth services and heard a letter from Johnson County Community Hospital offering to participate in a vendor procurement process if the district issues a request for proposals.
District staff said the survey, which closed the day of the work session, drew 635 responses; 69.6% of respondents said they preferred to keep the district's current telehealth arrangement with EMD, while 30.4% said the district should seek other vendors via an RFP.
Tina, a district staff member, summarized the results and the comment pages submitted by parents and staff. "Out of the 635 responses, 69.6% stated they would like to keep our current telehealth with EMD. 30.4 percent said to do an RFP," she said.
Several speakers described the perceived benefits of the existing EMD service, including rapid access to a nurse practitioner during school hours and reduced instructional disruption. One board member relayed staff reports that a student often can be connected "within just a few minutes" and receive a diagnosis and prescription that allows the student to return to class or await parent pickup promptly.
Johnson County Community Hospital President Jessica Trivet (letter submitted by Chastity Trivet at the meeting) told the board the hospital welcomed the chance to participate in any RFP process and said hospital clinicians could treat pre-K and Head Start children. The letter said the hospital would provide a full presentation if invited.
Board members asked whether objections to EMD centered on the provider itself or on an arrangement in which a district-employed nurse practitioner contracted outside of district hours with EMD. Staff said the district had amended its memorandum of understanding to clarify that during school hours the nurse practitioner is a district employee and receives no additional compensation; outside school hours the clinician may perform outside-contracted work.
No formal procurement or vendor change was approved during the session. Board members and staff said they would address remaining governance questions and could pursue an RFP if the board directed it.
The board also received comments urging verification of billing and collection policies for families; a parent comment attached to the survey asked the district to confirm collection policies related to telehealth fees.
