Here are five things to know.
1. HippoMD began rolling out its telemedicine services at Sacramento City Unified School District sites in early 2016. The company now serves students at five of the district’s elementary schools. The district is considering an expansion of the project, which would be deployed this fall, according to The Sacramento Bee.
2. The goal of the telemedicine program is to reduce “chronic absenteeism,” particularly among low-income students who may lack regular medical care. With telemedicine, students do not need to skip school or wait for an appointment to see a healthcare provider.
3. School nurses, however, have critiqued the service. Twenty-six of the district’s 27 nurses signed a protest in March, in part questioning the ability of nonmedical personnel to triage students.
These nonmedical employees “are not trained to know what is a real headache, and what is a headache because they want to avoid class, and when it should be brought to the attention of a doctor,” Nho Le-Hinds, a nurse at seven district schools, told The Sacramento Bee.
4. The school nurses also said a Sacramento City Unified School District agreement with HippoMD may violate its labor contract by using district resources “to advance the interests of a for-profit company,” according to The Sacramento Bee.
5. HippoMD hasn’t received any reimbursement for its services. However, the company and district are negotiating terms of the expansion proposal, and the district may decide to pay HippoMD a licensing fee to use its services, The Sacramento Bee reports.
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