WOODBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Even after the pandemic, technology is making health connections for schools in rural Vermont.

The Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union is implementing telehealth in the school nurse’s office, noting some students have trouble accessing primary care due to transportation issues and a shortage of providers in the area.

Nurse Tim Davis says they secured telehealth equipment through different grants.

The equipment has attachments that let the machine and providers listen to the student’s heart, and can look in the ears, mouth, and nose. The information is on video for the provider to virtually see, where they can prescribe medication for simple conditions like strep throat or ear infections. Davis says it also allows annual checkups for students who have trouble getting to the doctor.

“It comes with like attachments that you can listen to the heart. You can look in the ears and the mouth and the nose. All that kind of stuff is then broadcast by video to the provider in the doctor’s office basically, and they can prescribe medications for simple things like strep throat and ear infections, and just give like annual checkups for kids that have trouble getting to the doctor or parents that have no transportation,” said Davis.

Davis says the equipment is ready to be rolled out on their end. He says they’re still working on partnering with regional medical clinics, so the launch date is to be determined.

When the program is underway, Davis says the tech would be in all the schools and open to every student.

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