WICOMICO COUNTY, MD - A new law in Maryland is requiring middle and high schools to include spaces for students to attend telehealth appointments. This is part of an effort to increase school attendance, while keeping students healthy.
Brian Raygor, the Chief Finance and Operations Officer with Wicomico County Public Schools, says schools boards are finalizing their student telehealth policies before the new school year begins in the fall.
He says the policy will help the students miss less school, but also help some students gain access to healthcare when they normally have.
"Anything we can do to keep students in our building is going to be a great benefit to help with attendance and is also going to help them with the health services they need," said Raygor.
Raygor also confirmed that this policy does not eliminate school nurses.
"We want all our students to be healthy. School nurses play a huge role in that," said Raygor. "You look at a school with may twelve, thirteen-hundred students and there's one school nurse, so this just gives another layer of support for students when they need it."
Officials say these private spaces for telehealth appointments will be available before school starts in September at the middle and high schools in Wicomico County.
Raygor says the Wicomico County School Board is taking comment on the policy until August 11th. The school boards statewide must formally adopt and implement a policy in accordance to the state guidelines.