How to Buy CPR Training Manikins

Growing Number of States Require CPR Training Before High School Graduation

According to the American Heart Association, a bystander trained in CPR can double or even triple the survival rate of a person in Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Since Sudden Cardiac Arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, it makes sense that we would want to increase the number of CPR trained bystanders in our states. A logical way to do this would be to require CPR training prior to graduating high school. States such as Alabama, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee currently require all students to take a CPR training course before graduation, and many more states are currently introducing similar legislation.

Providing CPR Training to Students Prior to Graduating High School Adds Thousands of Lifesavers to Our Communities

The American Heart Association (AHA) is working to pass state laws that will assure all students are trained in life-saving CPR before they graduate. Read this excerpt taken from the AHA’s website:

Training students in CPR can be accomplished with a minimal investment in time and cost. According to the latest science, trainees—including school children—can achieve acceptable levels of CPR skills proficiency in 30 minutes or less. That means in less time than it takes to watch the average sitcom students can learn this lifesaving skill.

Pierson High School in Sag Harbor, NY began its CPR program in 1994. Amazingly, 16 lives have been saved so far because these students used their CPR skills in the real world!

Read more & Pledge Your Support at www.becprsmart.org >>

When Schools Need to Buy CPR Manikins

Many schools will employ a certified CPR instructor to provide this important training to its students. These instructors will be in charge of purchasing the necessary supplies, including CPR training manikins, to provide an effective training.

How to Evaluate CPR manikins:

Anatomical Markings

CPR manikins with clear anatomical markings help students feel more confident during a real-life rescue.  Lifelike CPR manikins help students visualize proper hand placement during a rescue, get a feel for how hard they have to compress the chest, and understand how much breath it takes to make a chest rise.

See some of the most lifelike CPR manikins on the market today:

Prestan CPR Training Manikins

Laerdal CPR Training Manikins 

Simulaids CPR Training Manikins 

Rescuer Feedback

There are 3 ways a CPR manikin can provide feedback to the student: audio, visual, and electronic.

Audio - The average CPR manikin, such as ones by CPR Prompt, will provide students audio feedback during chest compressions by “clicking” when a student reaches the recommended compression depth for a CPR rescue.

Visual – Compression depth isn’t the only indicator that a student if performing CPR correctly. Another critical component to a rescue is the rate of compressions. Prestan manikins are equipped with indicator lights that display a different color based on the number of compressions the student is delivering per minute. In addition, Prestan manikins have the audible chest depth clicker. 

Electronic – Some CPR manikins available for purchase provide feedback electronically on key CPR skills such as ventilations (correct/too much), compressions (correct/too deep), wrong hand position and stomach distension. View the Laerdal Resusci Anne CPR Training Manikins to learn more about electronic feedback >> 

 

Instructor Ease of Use

CPR manikin assembly and take down is important when you have 10 to setup for each class. Instructors will also want to take into account how easy manikins are to clean and maintain after each use. Are the face shields/lung bags easy to insert and take out? How well do they protect the manikins during use?

The Sani- series of CPR Manikins need no cleaning, disinfecting, assembly or moving parts to lose.

CPR Prompt Manikin heads are dishwasher safe.

Prestan Manikins have a unique “clamshell” design that makes their face shield/lung bag easy to insert.
 

Weight 

Portable CPR manikins will be lightweight and include a carrying bag for instructors that need to bring their equipment with them to class. Take into account the dimensions of the bag and the dimensions of the vehicle they will be transported in.
 

Ability to Teach Adult, Child and Infant CPR 

You can purchase infant, child, and adult manikins to simulate a rescue on each age group. The CPR Prompt Adult/Child Manikin allows the instructor to adjust its feedback system between adult and child. This could reduce your manikin costs significantly, however, realism is also reduced.

Shop infant/child CPR manikins:

Baby Anne Manikin 

Sani-Baby 

CPR Prompt Infant Manikin 

Prestan Child Manikin 

Laerdal Little Junior CPR Manikin

Kevin/Kyle Simulaids CPR Manikins

 

Cost of Ownership 

Teaching CPR courses require you to replace lung bags and face shields on an ongoing basis. Researching how easy these consumables are to procure and how much they cost is important to do before making a CPR manikin investment.

CPR Prompt CPR Training Manikin Replacement Parts

Laerdal CPR Training Manikin Replacement Parts

Prestan CPR Training Manikin Face Shilds with Lung Bags

Simulaid CPR Training Manikin Accessories

Speak with other CPR instructors to get their feedback on the CPR manikins they use. And if you have feedback on your CPR manikin purchase, help others by leaving a product review on the website you purchased from. 

 

How to Select the Best Evacuation Chair for Your Building

Evacuation Chairs Critical for Saving Lives

Don't Leave Anyone Behind - Even if No One is in a Wheelchair in Your Building, Greater Than 10% of the Population Has a Disability, Most of Which are not Easily Identifiable.

Asthma, heart issues, seizures, even a temporary injury will create a situation that an individual will require assistance evacuating the building. Evacuation chairs are not just for individuals in wheelchairs.

Asking someone who cannot evacuate on their own to stay in place and wait for help to arrive while everbody else evacuates is unjustifiable, both morally and legally. Help may not arrive in time to save that person.

Evacuation chairs are a simple solution that allows a single person to safely and efficiently bring another person down unlimited flights of stairs without power or heavy lifting.

How Do Evacuation Chairs Work?

Persons who cannot descend stairs on their own need a contingency plan that gets them out of the building easily and safely. Evacuation stair chairs have the ability to descend multiple flights of stairs with ease. This is achieved through the use of specially designed friction belts, which controls the descent speed and allows for a smooth and safe evacuation down stairs and along hallways and corridors. The narrow width of the chairs leaves plenty of room for others to pass on the narrowest of stairwells. A single person can operate the chairs, leaving other essential staff to help others.

Planning ahead for emergencies is not always easy but it’s absolutely critical to ensure the fastest and safest evacuation possible. Many facilities across the U.S. have already  bought this life-saving technology. But there are many more whose evacuation plans are out of date and do not include the escape of persons who have mobility issues. Having a plan for emergency evacuations that include evacuation stair chairs for persons with limited mobility can be the difference between life and death.

Evacuation Chairs in the News:

• Westchester School Leaves Behind Disabled Students in Fire Evacuation - The Justice Department is questioning a Westchester high school's evacuation procedures after two students who use wheelchairs were left behind during a fire emergency.

• As Seen in New Mobility Magazine: "September 11, 2001: A Day to Remember" - The stories of two men - both wheelchair users - who were working on separate floors of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. True to the human drama of that day, one lived and one died, but their stories stand as a tribute to the friends and coworkers who risked their lives to help them.

• Disabled Workers Could be Left Stranded in Emergencies - EVAC+CHAIR International recently conducted a survey with 100 human resource directors about evacuation procedures and safety that revealed some pretty alarming results. 

• Overheated Motor Prompts Vegas Casino Evacuation - Hotels and casinos are two major facilities that can have complicated and often, ill-equipped, evacuations. This article discusses a threatening incident that occurred in a Vegas casino this past month and reminds us of a few terrible hotel fires from the past.

3 Tips for Selecting the Best Evacuation Chair:

1. Make sure the evacuation chair you select is lightweight, strong, and easy to operate. Avoid any evacuation chairs that are heavy or complex to use. Needless braking systems, heavy or difficult to carry evacuation chairs, or evacuation chairs with multiple parts cannot be counted on in case of an emergency.

2. Make sure the evacuation chair can be easily carried. You will want to ensure that any gender, trained or not, can use the evacuation chair you select. Most emergencies won't occur right in front of the evacuation chair - it will most likely need to be carried up a flight of stairs, down a hallway, or to an accessible fire stair. A good rule of thumb to remember is that 20 lbs. is a manageable weight, but 50 lbs. is going to be a struggle.

3. Make sure your evacuation chair easily descends stairs. In order to easily evacuate a person down fire stairs requires the ability to control the speed of descension. There are evacuation chairs on the market today that allow the operator to speed up, slow down, or stop on the stairs with ease, such as the EVAC+CHAIR line of evacuation chairs.

By following the three important tips above when selecting your evacuation chair, you can be confident you are selecting the right evacuation chair for your building. Learn more by browing evacuation chairs online or request a free consultation below.

This blog is adapted from advice given by David Egen, Inventor of the EVAC+CHAIR

School Health to Sponsor 2nd Annual Bammy Awards

Bammy Awards Honors Individials Who Impact the Education Field Such as School Nurses, Athletic Trainers, Early Childhood Specialists, and Special Needs Professionals

Presented by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences International, the Bammy is a cross-discipline honor recognizing educators throughout the education field. Based on the notion that it takes a village to educate a child, the Academy hosts the Bammy Awards to identify, recognize and celebrate what’s right in American education throughout the entire field -- from teachers, principals and superintendents to school nurses, support staff, advocates, researchers, early childhood specialists, education journalists, school facilities maintenance staff, special needs professionals, school board members, education school professors, parents and more.

We believe that students of all abilities deserve the opportunity to reach their maximum educational potential. To do that, they need to be healthy and empowered to learn. School Health partners with hard working school nurses, athletic trainers, special education professionals, early childhood personnel, and school business officials who clearly demonstrate their passion for enriching student lives and are well-deserving of recognition. School Health is thrilled to take an active role in honoring these extraordinary individuals by continuing our sponsorship of the prestigious Bammy Awards." - Rob Rogers, School Health Owner & COO, pictured at left with School Health President and Owner Susan Rogers at the 2012 Bammy Awards

The awards program was created in response to the tremendous national pressure on educators and education leaders to improve student outcomes and the intense scrutiny that today's educators face as a result. The Bammy Awards honor the contributions made by all of the various stakeholders in the education field. The awards aim to elevate education successes in the public eye and raise the voices of the many undervalued and unrecognized people who are making a difference.

“The positive response to the inaugural Bammy Awards in 2012 was overwhelming. Clearly the notion of collaboratively acknowledging what is going well in American education is an idea whose time has come,” said Errol St. Clair Smith, executive producer of the Bammy Awards. “We commend and appreciate all of the early supporters of this national initiative.”

Modeled on the broad scope of the Oscars, Grammys and Emmys, the Bammy Awards accepts nominations in dozens of education categories, selects nominees for awards and holds a red-carpet event that brings together constituents from the entire education community to recognize the honorees. The nominations and first round of voting will be done online at www.bammyawards.org.

Nominations are made by the public on the Bammy Awards website, and two honors, the Educator’s Voice Award and the Bammy Award, will be presented in every category. Educators Voice Award honorees are selected by popular online vote and will be announced in June. Bammy Award honorees are then selected by members of the Academy of Education Arts & Sciences and will be announced at the Bammy Awards red carpet event on September 21st in Washington, D.C., at the Arena Stage Theater.

Nominations may be submitted at http://www.bammyawards.org.

About the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences
The Academy is comprised of a Board of Governors, Council of Peers and the executive committee, and includes a cadre of some of the nation’s most prominent educators, education leaders, professors, journalists, activists, visionaries, and pioneers. The Academy also includes the executive directors from the leading national education associations, including the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association for Middle Level Education; National School Plant Management Association; the National Association of School Nurses, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National School Boards Association, the National School Supply and Equipment Association and the National PTA, among others. The full list of Academy members is available at http://www.bammyawards.com/index.php/about-us/academy-of-education-arts-and-sciences.

School AED Program and Quick Acting Bystanders Save Referee's Life

First Year Athletic Director, Certified Athletic Trainer, and a Parent Come to the Rescue

On Thursday, February 7^th during an exciting overtime Girls' Basketball game at Eastchester High School in NY, Neil Berniker, a longtime teacher and referee, suddenly collapsed and hit the floor while officiating the game. Jason Karol, the school's Athletic Director, witnessed the collapse and immediately ran over to assess the situation.

"As soon as I ran over, I saw he wasn't breathing and I yelled to call 911," Karol said. "I told the [athletic] trainer to get the AED because he was gasping for air but he wasn't breathing." Karol, a first year athletic director, began CPR until Ellen Bastoni, the school's Certified Athletic Trainer, returned with the LIFEPAK AED (Automated External Defibrillator). Karen Hefferman, a parent and nurse who was in the stands, also came to assist Karol. Once the AED was connected to the referee, it advised a shock.

The AED delivered a shock with the push of a button and, incredibly, Berniker was successfully revived in front of the 200 people watching solemnly from the stands.

"We saw his eyes open and he started breathing again," Karol said. "He was confused and I just held his hand until the EMT’s got there. He didn't know what happened."

Once EMT's arrived, Berniker was put on oxygen and transported to the intensive care unit. It was reported that he recovered well, and that he was up and walking around and making jokes by the next day.

On February 15th, Eastchester honored the three who came to the aid of Neil Berniker, the referee who collapsed suddenly during a Girl's Basketball game. From left: Supervisor Anthony S. Colavita, legislator Sheila Marcotte, athletic director Jason Karol, co-president Eastchester Sports Club Diana DiCarlo, trainer Ellen Bastoni, parent Nancy Heffernan, co-president Eastchester Sports Club Dan Schultz and principal Dr. Jeffrey Capuano. Photo courtesy of Lohud.com

 

School's AED Program Reviewed Only a Week Before

Eastchester's school nurse, Dee Ambroseo, R.N., writes the school's AED Program assessments and manages the maintenance and placement of the school’s AEDs. She works with the program's Medical Director, Cardiologist Dr. Matilda Taddeo, and Doug Zybrands, Territory Manager from School Health Corporation, to ensure the school is properly prepared for such an event.

"You hope you never have to use [the AED] and then one day it saves a life. It's life alternating in more ways than one" said Ms. Ambroseo of the recent event.

Eastchester has 23 AEDs located strategically throughout their buildings. Interestingly, the week before the referee collapsed during the basketball game, the placement of the AEDs was reviewed and the one used to save Berniker’s life was placed in a more accessible location in the gym so that it could be utilized after normal school hours.

School Health is the leading provider of AEDs to schools in the nation. If your school or organization would like more information, please contact us and one of our knowledgeable representatives will get in touch with you.

You will also get a FREE copy of "The 10 Common Mistakes Made By School AED Programs".

13 Ways Electronic Health Records Benefit School Health Offices

Can Schools Afford to Continue Keeping Paper Health Records?

Schools who have deployed electronic health records (EHR) have reported significant cost savings, the ability to respond to student health issues more quickly and effectively, and a reduction in time spent on administrative work.

13 Ways Electronic Health Records Benefit School Health Offices: 

1. Space savings – instead of storing paperwork in filing cabinets, everything is stored on the computer.

2. Time savings – instead of filling out paperwork in triplicate, you can complete the same task with the click of a button.

3. Increased referral compliance – EHR systems provide reports that tell you exactly which students you have referred so you can follow up.

4. Immunization reporting – Instantly see which students have had their required immunizations and who you are still waiting on, instead of spending hours rifling through forms.

5. Easily send letters home from school – After you run that report of the number of outstanding referrals or students that need required immunizations, print out personalized letters to send home with each student.

6. Track the prevalence of medical conditions or infectious diseases in school – you may want to track how often concussions are being reported or how many kids are being sent home with the flu. Use your data to identify patterns and improve school health. Do you see a lot of injury reports happening around the same time of day? Maybe there is a spot on the playground that needs extra supervision. What percentage of children are overweight or obese in your school? Think twice about cutting recess.

7. Make sure kids take their medications – EHR’s can tell you who forgot to come and take their medications during school hours, or who needs more pills from home.

8. Share school data with the children’s doctor – EHR’s can easily prepare printouts of the child’s daily progress in data form for parents to take to the doctor.

9. Standardized assessments – make sure you get the right information during assessments by following the prompts given by the EHR.

10. Quickly identify students with life threatening conditions – especially when unlicensed personnel or school nurse substitutes are in the office.

11. Quickly access emergency care plans for students without having to rifle through paperwork.

12. Meet safety and confidentiality standards – some schools may keep medical records in the student’s school record, which does not meet current confidentiality standards.

13. Dramatically increases Medicaid billing revenue.

What to Expect When Implementing EHR

• Insist that a school nurse be part of the selection and implementation of an EHR system in schools.

• Plan for the transfer of data either from your current EHR or from your paper system.

Learn more about implementing EHR in your school by speaking to an expert and finding out how long it would take to implement in your school.

Spot Vision Screening Event a Team Effort to Improve Kids' Sight

Good Vision is a Key Component to Academic Success

Vision screening is a critical part of health screenings for children. Eighty percent of a child’s early learning comes from vision and studies have consistently shown that vision and eye health have a direct impact on a child’s ability to learn (WAO, 2011).  About one in four school-aged children suffer from an undetected or untreated eye health or vision problem (AOA, 2011).  It is crucial children have their vision checked to ensure positive academic performance and growth.

Common signs that a child may have an undetected vision problem:

• Losing place while reading               
• Avoiding close work
• Rubbing eyes
• Headaches
• Turning or tilting head
• Making frequent reversals when reading or writing
• Using a finger to maintain place when reading
• Omitting or confusing small words when reading
• Consistently performing below potential
• Struggling to complete homework
• Behavioral problems
• Squinting while reading or watching television
• Holding reading material closer than normal

Closing the Gap

Every day, 12.5 million children go to school with an undetected or corrected vision issue. That's 25% of school-age children! Unfortunately, only 10% of those in need ever receive care. Schools are in a unique position to ensure vision screenings for a majority of American children. However, it can be inefficient and burdensome for schools to provide mass screenings using traditional methods such as vision charts. Also, vision charts may not be appropriate for very young children and those with special needs.

Using a tool such as the Spot Vision Screener can allow Schools (and even volunteer or non-profit organizations) to mass screen children, consistently and objectively, and in return, potentially reduce some of the academic and disciplinary issues that can result from poor vision. It utilizes Binocular screening, which means it screens both eyes simultaneously, thus only requiring a single screening for each child. The "cost per child" is low for this technology, only +/-$1.00 per student, and the procedure can be eligible for reimbursement using CPT code 99174.

If your school or organization could benefit from quick and objective vision screenings, contact us for a free consultation from one of our product experts! You will also be able to download a copy of the Palmetto Elementary Case Study.

 

 

Flu Prevention Tools & Flu Shot FAQ's for Schools & Childcare Centers

Schools & Childcare Providers Need to Stay Informed to Protect Children and Teens from Epidemic Flu

According to the CDC's Weekly Flu Advisory:

• The number of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza was slightly above the epidemic threshold.

• The total number of influenza-related pediatric deaths is 20.

• 47 states reported widespread geographic influenza activity.

Read the CDC's Weekly Flu Advisory >>

How Schools and Childcare Providers Can Save Lives and Help Stop the Spread of Flu

Schools and childcare providers are in a key position to get information to parents about seasonal flu vaccines and to reduce the spread of influenza in their communities. Promoting flu vaccines and taking infection control steps to prevent the spread of the flu can potentially save lives in the community. It is important for schools and childcare providers to keep current on the latest flu developments.

Resources for Battling the Flu at School

• CDC's Seasonal Flu Information for Schools & Childcare Providers

• Fighting the Flu Happens at School Booklet from NASN

• Prevent Childhood Influenza

• CDC's Everyday Preventative Actions

• School-Located Vaccination Planning Materials and Templates

• How To Clean and Disinfect Schools To Help Slow the Spread of Flu
  

Commonly Asked Questions About Flu Shots

Q: Is it too late to get the flu vaccine?

A: It is not too late to get the flu vaccine. Flu season typically peaks in January or February, and some flu cases are still reported in the Spring, according to fda.gov. It does take around two weeks for the vaccination to become effective, so the sooner you are vaccinated, the better.

Q: I have heard that this season's flu vaccine isn't effective against the current influenza virus. Should I still get vaccinated?

A: According to flu.gov, the current vaccine prevents the need for treatment of the flu by a health care provider 60% of the time. According to Dr. Bresee, the CDC's influenza division chief, this is in range with previous years' vaccines, which were between 50% and 70% effective. The number of deaths from the flu this year has forced health officials to call this a flu epidemic, and some hospitals have had to turn patients away, make them wear face masks or make them wait overnight due to overcrowding. Health officials are urging anyone who hasn't received a vaccine yet to get one, as it is the best prevention method available.

Q: How long does it take after vaccination to be fully protected?

A: According to the CDC, "It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu."

Q: Is there any treatment for the flu?

A: Yes. Doctors will provide you drugs to treat your flu virus, called Flu Antiviral Drugs and will help you feel better faster.

How to Stop the Spread of Flu

If the flu does outbreak in your school or childcare center, it is important to know what you can do stop it from spreading. First, understand what people are most at risk of developing complications from the flu. If somone has the flu and brings it home to one of these populations, serious complications can occur. Second, be sure to follow the CDC's recommendations for everyday preventative actions and their guide on how to clean and disinfect schools.

This includes making sure your workplace has an adequate supply of:

• Tissues

• Soap

• Paper Towels

• Alcohol-based hand rubs

• Disposable wipes

In addition, school or childcare health offices may want to have their own supply of:

• Professional grade thermometers and probe covers

• Face masks to prevent the spread of flu to high risk patients in crowded waiting rooms

• Germ prevention educational materials, such as posters or tear-pad sheets to send home with students

• Vaccination supplies

• Professional clean-up products for patients who get sick at school

• Surface Disinfectants for cleaning desks, countertops, doorknobs, computer keyboards, hands-on learning items, faucet handles, phones, and toys.

How to Safely Select Generic OTC Medications

Don’t Underestimate the Value of Over-the-Counter Medications

The Rise of Generic Medications

Over the past 20 years, generic OTC’s have steadily become more and more accepted by consumers. If you shop at any grocery store, wholesale club, convenience store or big box store you have seen that your choices for generic OTC medications have increased dramatically and it seems that everyone has their own generic OTC brand at far lower prices then the name brands. Today’s educated buyer realizes that you need to compare the ingredients of similar products in order to get the best value for your family, company, team etc. What you will find most of the time is the same active ingredients with a better cost value. How much value? 20 years ago you may have been able to save a couple of pennies per 2-pack of medication, but today you can save up to $.10, $.12 even $.15 cents per dose. That can translate into significant savings.

Are Generic Medications Safe?

In the late 1970’s, generic OTC’s were not as well known due to the amount of advertising done by the name brands, and without the Internet it was much more difficult to research generic companies and the FDA registrations. It was assumed that generics didn’t have to follow the same rules as the name brands and that the products were not as safe. As information became more readily available on-line, educated consumers learned that companies providing generics had to follow all the same safety protocols, register with the FDA, follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s), are inspected by the FDA and are held to the same high standards.

What to Look For in a Quality Generic Brand

Commitment to excellence, reputation, choice and value. A quality generic brand offers consumers safe options with proven ingredients. It is reasonable to expect that a brand with a diverse offering spends a significant amount of time developing their products and ensuring the quality. Medique Products has developed a solid reputation as the "Gold Standard" for generic OTC’s for the workplace by both our distributors and the end-users that purchase our products for these very reasons. Medique provides our customers with the safest and highest quality products available, at the best possible price. Our OTC’s undergo thorough stability testing to ensure the medications maintain their quality and we follow exact procedures from the earliest manufacturing phase through the final packaging allowing us to track every tablet we produce. Our OTC products include the following: complete labeling meeting FDA Consumer Drug Fact labeling criteria on the boxes and the individual doses, face-forward dispensing, microfilm coated tablets for easy swallowing and tamper-evident foil packaging on the Medique Tablet line ensuring quality and safety with every dose. In addition to tablet medications, we offer unit dose liquid OTC’s that provide safe, fast-relief while avoiding cross contamination.

About Sean Goodman

Sean Goodman is the Director of Sales for Medique Products. The Medique Products Company was founded in 1974 with a vision of becoming the leader in OTC medications, in unit-dose, for Workplace Health. Since that time, Medique has expanded its markets from Workplace Health, Occupational Health Nurses, Occupational Health Doctors, and Safety Directors to Correctional Health, School Health, Sports Medicine, and more. Today Medique is widely considered the leader in Workplace Health with the largest line of generic OTC’s available in unit-dose packaging.

Medique Products adheres to the guidelines set fourth by the FDA to ensure the safety of our products. Our pharmaceutical packaging facility certifies that the methods, facilities and controls used in packaging drug products are in compliance with all applicable requirements of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and with all local and state regulations. Medique follows FDA Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Packaging and our facility is registered with the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Guide to Crib Safety for Child Care Centers

Deadline to Obtain Compliant Cribs Quickly Approaching for Child Care Centers

Between November 2007 and April 2010, 36 deaths were associated with crib structural problems, according to the Statement of Chairman Inez M. Tenebaum on the Commission Decison Regarding the Final Rule on the Mandatory Safety Standards for Full-Size and Non-Full-Size Cribs. With millions of cribs being recalled during the same time period, it became clear that issuing recall after recall was not the solution for ensuring infant safety long term. Instead, the decision was made to rid the marketplace of old and defective cribs with the passage of mandatory crib standards. These new standards were designed to decrease the incidences of crib-related dangers and ensure that all young children, whether in their homes or at child care centers, are able to sleep more safely in their cribs.

Guidelines at a Glance:

• Deadline to replace non compliant cribs: December 28, 2012.

• Who is covered by the crib rule:

• Child care facility and family child care home

• Public residential facility

• Church owned or operated child care if care provided for a fee

• Cribs that are affected by the new standards: All wood and steel cribs not compliant to CPSC standards 16 CFR 1219 for full-size cribs and 16 CFR 1220 for non full size cribs. Play yards are not affected.

• Non compliant cribs should be destroyed, never sold or donated.

• The easiest way to know if your cribs meet the new standards is to request a Certificate of Compliance from the manufacturer. Any cribs made prior to December of 2010 is most likely not compliant. Manufacturers were no longer able to sell non compliant cribs as of June 28, 2011.

• Anyone who is covered by the new crib standards and does not comply commits a prohibited act under section 19(a)(1) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). A person or company that knowingly commits a prohibited act is subject to possible civil penalties. States’ attorneys general also have authority to enforce the crib standards through injunctions.

Read all of the FAQ's posted on the CPSC website >>

Changes that are Being Made to Cribs to Make them Safer for Young Children

Since June 28, 2011, all crib manufacturers and sellers (including resale) have had to comply with the new and improved federal safety standards. These new standards apply to both full and non full-size cribs.

• Drop-side rail crib sales are prohibited.

• Crib slats and mattress supports have been strengthend.

• The quality of hardware has been improved.

• Testing of crib hardware is more rigorous.

Details of the rule are available on CPSC’s website.

The new rules also apply to cribs currently in use at child care centers and places of public accommodation.

Quick Stats on Crib Safety

• 36 deaths between November 2007 and April 2010 due to crib structural problems.

• 59,000 child care facilities are affected by the new standards.

• 98% of child care facilities affected are small businesses.

• Average child care center has between 4 and 45 cribs.

• CPSC staff estimates 775,000 cribs require replacement

• The number one fatal crib hazard is adding extra bedding (such as pillows or comforters) to a baby's crib. 

 

Support Breast Cancer Awareness By Voting for Best Pink Glove Dance

 

School Health and Over 25 Schools Put on the Pink Gloves and Danced for This Year’s Competition

 

Medline is generously hosting its second annual Pink Glove Dance Video Competition for Breast Cancer. This year they received over 260 entries from different organizations across the country including schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, medical centers, and corporations. The response has been once again incredible and overwhelming. Voting was scheduled to begin on Friday, October 12th, however; traffic to the site was so heavy that it temporarily brought it down. Medline and Google had to work around the clock to bring it back up, but now you can now vote for your favorite videos online at www.pinkglovedance.com. Videos are listed in alphabetical order by the organization’s name.

Your vote is important!  Contest winners will select a Breast Cancer non-profit organization of their choice to receive donation money. Overall first place will receive $10,000, second place $5,000, and third place $2,000. Additionally, School Health Corporation will be rewarding the top three school organizations in the amounts of $1,000, $750, and $500! Half the amount will be given as a School Health Gift Card and the other half will be donated to the Breast Cancer charity of their choice.

School participants (in alphabetical order):

• Anderson 5 Career Campus Health Science Students
• Barren County High School Beta Club
• Barren County Trojan Academy
• Braden River High School
• Brown Mackie College Miami School of Nursing
• Coastal Carolina Community College
• Henderson County High School FCCLA
• Lakeside Elementary School
• Morell Regional High School
• Niles Township High Schools
• Ohio University School of Nursing-College of Health Science and Professions
• Pearl High School
• Pierremont Elementary
• Remington College-Nashville
• Riverview Elementary School
• Salter School of Nursing
• Sheridan High School
• Springfield Public Schools R-12 School District - Springfield, MO
• St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School
• Sun Valley High School HOSA club
• Texarkana College
• The College at Brockport
• Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
• United South High School (United Independent School District)
• Vienna High School
• Waubonsee Community College Student Nurse Association
• West Texas Elementary School

 

The School Health Pink Glove Dance Video 

School Health owners and employees happily joined the cause this year and danced to the song "Down" by Jay Sean, the song used in the original Pink Glove Dance video. Susan Rogers, President and CEO of School Health, choreographed the video. School Health Sales Representative, Kristi Leahy is highlighted in the video as she is a Breast Cancer survivor herself. She is also the champion for Breast Cancer fundraising at School Health during the month of October. 

School Health has chosen the Get in Touch Foundation as its beneficiary if the School Health video is chosen for one of the top three awards. Rob and Susan became aware of the Get in Touch Foundation this past June during the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) conference in San Francisco. They met Mary Ann Wasil Nilan, the group’s founder and a survivor herself, and learned about the foundation and its mission to educate women and girls on the importance of self breast exams. The foundation supports school nurses and health educators with a Girls’ Program which includes educational Daisy Wheels for teaching self exams.

Learn more about the Get in Touch Foundation at www.getintouchfoundation.org.

So much time and effort went in to each and every video produced, please take a minute to watch a few videos and vote for the ones that made you smile.  Voting ends November 2nd and contest winners will be announced November 9^th.