With the annual United Way of Nodaway County campaign under way, the Nodaway News Leader is featuring a partner agency each week, so that contributors understand how their donations will be used.
This week we’re showcasing Nodaway County school nurses.
United Way helps eight Nodaway County schools purchase additional supplies to be used by school nurses.
These schools and nurses are Megan Redden, Jefferson C-123; Rachel Brown, North Nodaway; Terry Runde, Northeast Nodaway; Jessie Prettyman, Nodaway-Holt; Tabitha Holtman, South Nodaway; Sally Klaas, St. Gregory’s; Cara Shell, Horace Mann-Leet Center; and Kelli Hoyt, West Nodaway.
WN school nurse Kelli Hoyt measures her son, Crew, a kindergarten student, on the new stadiometer purchased for the school with United Way of Nodaway County funds.
The Nodaway County Health Center (NCHC) acts as a facilitator and pass-through agency for the school nurses, who meet twice a year to determine needs. NCHC helps with the grant application and to distribute funds. NCHC receives no part of the funds.
NCHC Director Tom Patterson explained that by buying in bulk, the nurses get a price break on supplies. At other times, the need is to have equipment calibrated or new equipment purchased.
“United Way money is vital to the school nurses of Nodaway County,” Runde said, who, with her years of experience, acts as point person for the group. “United Way dollars are used to purchase new, updated health equipment so school nurses across our county can care for school kids in the best way possible.
“Our yearly school budgets cover disposable items, where United Way monies cover equipment and long-term needs.”
At meetings, the nurses address the most pressing needs first so that students in Nodaway County are well cared for.
Purchases with United Way funds have included Automated Electronic Defibrillators (AED) pads and batteries, audiometers, CPR mannequin and manuals, dental care tooth models, first aid kit back packs, educational materials and videos, electronic thermometers, locking medicine cabinets, nebulizers, nurse cots, otoscopes, pulse-oximeters, peak air flow meters, pedometers, school nursing manuals, sphygmomanometers, stadiometers, stethoscopes, vision charts and lighted cabinets and weight scales.
“United Way provides the extra means for extra supplies that we probably wouldn’t be able to get otherwise,” Hoyt said, whose WN school received a new stadiometer after the old one could no longer be calibrated.
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