Insights: the Magnus Health Blog

"Food allergies." What?! I knew that allergies ran in my family, because I grew up with them, but allergic to food? And not just one food group, but four major food groups, and others too?

A feeling of helplessness and fear came over me when my son Daniel, my third child, was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies at the age of ten months old. The realization that my child could die from eating food was a shock, despite knowing another child with food allergies from the on-site medical day care where I worked as a pediatric occupational therapist and director. Thus began the eye-opening journey of education (mine and others'), label reading, revised cooking, and fear for every new situation that occurred.

When you work for a company called Magnus Health, you tend to feel obligated to crank out a blog post each March in celebration of National Nutrition Month. I did it last year, I'm doing it this year, and if history tells us anything, I'll do it again in 2015. The good news is, a reminder blog once a year about the importance of nutrition will never be overkill. The better news is, I may have a surprise at the end of this blog.

National Nutrition Month is sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and "is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits." These are solid goals for everyone, especially children and teens. This year's theme is "Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right" because research found taste to be more influential in food purchasing behavior than nutritional value. Those foods people enjoy are more likely to be consumed, regardless of social, emotional, or health factors, so this year's theme is right on point.

What if I told you re-enrollment could be easier? What if I said you don't have to be buried by paperwork this year? That's exactly what these six myth-busting tips are designed to do: make your life less complicated, and shrink the ever-growing pile of forms sitting on your desk. When you discover the truth behind these myths, you'll not only be amazed, but you'll also breathe a long sigh of relief.

Take a quick look down the aisle of any grocery store and you're sure to see gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, and soy-free snacks from left to right. Open up a restaurant menu and many of the same allergy-free options are offered. Maybe you've even had a conversation with a neighbor who just adopted a gluten-free diet. With all of this increased allergy awareness, are we facing an allergy epidemic? Is the age of food allergies truly upon us?

Client Profile

• Name: Marcy Kwitny
• Title: Director of Health Services
• School: Polytechnic School
• Location: Pasadena, CA
• Type: K-12 Private, Coed, Day School
• Size: 861 students
• Website: polytechnic.org

Making the switch from paper to electronic records can be a daunting task, but we work with many school nurses who feel it’s well worth the challenge. Marcy Kwitny, the Director of Health Services at Polytechnic School in California, felt that the switch was necessary and inevitable. “To be in school nursing during this age of technology makes me always think about what I can do better,” Marcy explained. At a school that is “extremely forward thinking in terms of academics” she wanted to maintain a similar high standard for the health office. “I’m always trying to learn and I’m always trying to put the students first,” she added. 

Amy Van Dyken, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Peter Vanderkaay all have something in common, and it’s not just their glistening Olympic gold medals. While they will forever be remembered on the world stage for their athletic feats and dedication, there’s one thing that nearly held them all back from greatness, and that's asthma. These athletes (and hundreds of others) are a testament to how asthma can affect an athlete, but not bring them down.

What do I need to do to prepare? Who should be involved in the implementation? What will my parents see? What’s my job in the process? What’s Magnus’ job? How long will it take? When should I implement? How do I roll this out to parents? 

Don’t worry. We know you have a lot of questions, and we’re here to answer each and every one. 

We’ve worked with schools for years to consolidate forms and collect the information necessary to complete a student’s medical record prior to attending school. Some schools collect the bare minimum and some go way beyond. We’ve found a happy middle ground of seven must-haves - the 7 essential components of a student health file. There’s certainly nothing wrong with collecting additional information, but with these items on file, you can be confident you have the necessary records for a student to safely begin school. 

• Consent to treat: The parent, guardian, and/or eligible student should provide you with a signed consent to treat for regular visits and/or emergency events. It’s a best practice to require this form for each and every student.

• Health history: Nearly everyone is familiar with a health history - you know, the pages and pages of paperwork you fill out every time you go to the doctor’s office. A full health history on file for each student ensures you’re aware of past health situations that could be pertinent to current medical treatment.

Dear Magnus Insights Reader,

Friday is Valentine’s Day, but some of us at Magnus got in on the love-fest early. This past weekend, several folks represented Magnus at the 10^th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge (K2C). It’s not exactly a Valentine’s Day celebration, but it is a very lovable cause that benefits the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. If you’re not familiar with the K2C, allow me to explain. It involves a 2.5 mile run (walk, crawl, etc.) through downtown Raleigh to a Krispy Kreme store, consumption of 12 doughnuts (2400 calories), and a 2.5 mile run back. All in an hour. The Krispy Kreme Challenge website describes it as a “test of physical fitness and gastrointestinal fortitude.” I affectionately refer to it as Gluttony for Good.

What’s every kid’s least favorite part of getting ready for bed? No, it’s not checking for monsters in the closet, and it’s not turning off their favorite television show (although that can be a difficult battle, too). Hands down, every child’s least favorite part of the evening routine is brushing their teeth. Why? It’s actually a simple answer.