LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL NEW ORLEANS OFFER ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO SCHOOLS DURING PANDEMIC

The Louisiana Department of Education is teaming up with Children's Hospital New Orleans to offer additional support to schools and educators across the state as they plan to reopen for the 2020-2021 school year. The partnership has led to the development of a hotline and town hall webinar series to assist educators with medical questions and information related to reducing the spread of COVID-19 and keeping kids and those who care for them safe.


The Children's Hospital New Orleans Hotline for School Wellness and Virtual Care is open now and staffed by skilled nurses who can advise school staff on medical questions specifically relating to a student or team member about COVID-19. School nurses and other school administrators can call 504-837-7760 weekdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. All other operational questions that schools might have that are beyond medical inquiry about a student or a team member will be directed to the school's Regional Medical Director, who can offer guidance on implementing CDC guidelines in the school's environment.


In the town hall series for schools, Children's Hospital New Orleans experts will discuss topics like COVID-19 transmission basics, preventative measures and sanitation best practices, athletics and additional tips for guideline implementation. There will also be an opportunity for open Q&A. These will be offered every two weeks in July and August.


In addition to the hotline and town hall webinars for education professionals, Children's Hospital New Orleans currently offers online COVID-19 resources for families and is developing additional return to school materials specifically for families. 


"Throughout the process of developing reopening guidance and offering support to our schools, the Louisiana Department of Education has benefited from strong relationships with the medical community. Our educators will have access to medical experts who can help them make sound decisions around student and employee safety," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. 


"As the health experts for kids in Louisiana, Children's Hospital New Orleans is proud to support Louisiana's schools, students and their families in returning to school safely," says John R. Nickens IV, President and Chief Executive Officer of Children's Hospital New Orleans. "With schools across the nation and here in Louisiana adapting to new practices, procedures and approaches to learning to keep students and teachers safe upon reopening, our experts are available to serve as a resource, and to help make the reopening process for schools this fall a safer, smoother experience for students, parents and educators."


About Children's Hospital New Orleans
Children's Hospital New Orleans offers comprehensive multi-disciplinary care that is focused entirely on kids and the people who care for them. Through its team of over 400 pediatric-trained specialty providers, the hospital offers the entire continuum of pediatric healthcare services, and in many cases is the only place in the region that a child or adolescent can receive the specialized care they need.  Children's Hospital New Orleans cares for patients from all 64 parishes in Louisiana through the main campus in New Orleans and its network of primary care, school-based and multi-specialty clinics in Covington, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Alexandria and most recently in the Shreveport-Bossier area through partnership with Willis-Knighton Health System. The organization is also the primary teaching facility for both LSU and Tulane Pediatrics, and in effect, has access to a vast network of cutting-edge research and public health and infectious disease professionals affiliated with those institutions of higher education.


As the health experts for kids in Louisiana, Children's Hospital New Orleans is uniquely situated to partner with educational institutions to support statewide schools, students and their families in returning to school safely. Through its relationships with other children's hospitals across the country, including hotspot communities like Seattle, WA and New York, NY, its team of healthcare experts has developed pediatric COVID-19 testing algorithms, evidence-based care guidelines, employee health policies and procedures, and other COVID-19 resources to help guide its organization and partner institutions through these unprecedented times. Children's Hospital is proud to offer collaboration and expertise to schools across New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.

COVID-19 Resources for Families