HMS is proud to announce that HMS Nursing Coordinator, Patty Mars, BSN RN, lent her expertise to a panel for the University of Pennsylvania’s Children with Special Healthcare Needs class at the School of Nursing last week! The panel discussed the intersection of nursing and school districts and how to best provide for students with special needs both in an education setting and medical setting.
Patty was joined by Kerri Flanagan and Nicolas Polko from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Hospital School Program, Francis Garner, Director of Student Services for Rose Tree-Media School District, and Jennifer Mangold, Coordinator of Special Education for the West Chester School District.
Panelists discussed a wide range of topics from Individualized Education Plans to navigating laws like the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and the intersection of education and medical care, offering a broad array of perspectives. Assistant Professor of the UPenn School for Nursing, Jackelyn Boyden, PhD, MPH, RN, moderated the discussion and fielded questions submitted by students for the panel.
HMS is no stranger to collaborating with Penn’s School of Nursing. Each year we welcome nursing students from Penn for internships at HMS so they can get on-site clinical experience. As part of their community rotation, nursing interns learn and work with HMS experts across multiple disciplines, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. We know that hands-on experience with therapy for children with motor impairments will serve them well in the future, and we truly believe the only way to learn is to do!
As for the panel, Patty was happy to share her knowledge and experience.
“I loved being a part of the panel,” said Patty. “Being able to offer the nurse practitioner students a different perspective using real-life experience and examples will ultimately help them and their prospective patients as they embark on their new careers.”
HMS is proud to lend our expertise to our community partners whenever possible!
Looking for an HMS expert to speak at your organization or school? Our HMS Connect program provides an interactive, collaborative space for learning and growth centered on families and experts working with children with cerebral palsy. Check out our latest Evening Education Connection!
Contact HMS Connect Co-Director, Teresa, by emailing tgiardina@hmsschool.org to set up a speaker today!