However, Cook Children’s School-Based Virtual Health Program is helping school nurses and parents ease some of that chaos.

“I see the benefit for my own family,” said Erwin, an LVN, IBCLC, and virtual health nurse coordinator with Cook Children’s.

Nurses in the Celina Independent School District now join 14 other school districts in offering virtual health appointments, with no upfront cost, through the school nurse’s office. A parent or legal guardian must register and consent before the visit.

The virtual health services can help diagnose:

• Earaches
• Fevers
• Coughs and colds
• Skin rashes
• Minor skin infections
• Abrasions/cuts/scrapes
• Sore throats
• Flu-like symptoms
• Pink eye
• Head lice

Autumn Morris, an APRN CPNP-PC and a virtual health nurse practitioner, met with Celina ISD nurses to train them on the program before the school year. Each campus nurse is provided with a stethoscope and an otoscope to use during virtual visits to help with diagnoses. Each item plugs into a laptop, allowing Morris to see inside a child’s ear and listen to their heartbeat, for example. In addition, each campus nurse is trained and certified to administer a flu and strep test if needed during the visit.

“It’s nice because then we can get the results right there,” said Allycia Cundiff, Celina ISD lead nurse.

Cundiff looks forward to the partnership and the impact it will have on the community. Morris will be able to determine if a child needs to be sent home or if they can stay in class, helping reduce absences.

Erwin says program data shows 65% of visits are due to a sore throat.

“We meet you where you're at because a lot of times it's really hard to get off work when your kid is sick,” said Morris.

Parents can choose to attend the virtual visit. Following the appointment, Morris will contact parents with information about the visit and post-care instructions. If a child must be sent home, an excuse note is sent directly to the school. A copy of the visit is also provided to the child’s pediatrician. 

Erwin explains that the virtual appointment does not replace a child’s primary care pediatrician but is a collaborative effort. Morris says the line of communication with the pediatrician can help determine if a child may need to see a specialist. 

“We want them to have a primary care physician (PCP) placement, and if they don't have that, we work hard to find them one with Cook Children's,” said Erwin.

Once the visit is completed, Cook Children’s will bill the parent’s insurance provider.

A visit to the nurse’s office

“Kids like it, too, because they think the technology is cool,” said Erwin. “They get to come in, they get to see Autumn on the screen and they get to talk.”

Morris works with more than 100 schools, providing care to them. She and Erwin lead the training with all district nurses in the program.

“I want them to know that I'm not just the provider who's seeing that kid at that moment, but I'm a resource to them (nurses) so they can reach out to me if there are any issues or concerns,” said Morris.

The program has been in place for eight years. Morris describes the partnership as the school nurses being her "hands" as she diagnoses a child's illness. If additional testing or care is required, she is able to refer the child to a Cook Children's Urgent Care or Cook Children's Medical Center Prosper, just a short drive from Celina.

“We always say, you don't just get me, you get a giant hospital system attached to me,” said Morris. “We are passionate employees of the system but we are passionate parents who love our kids.”

It is that confidence and reassurance that makes Cundiff excited for the partnership, not just as a nurse but as a parent herself.

 “We have a lot of parents that work for the district and it is really hard to leave work, especially if you're a teacher,” explained Cundiff.

Anatomy of a visit

A typical visit can last anywhere from two minutes to five minutes. Children will present themselves at the school nurse’s office, and a nurse will determine if a virtual visit may be helpful. If so:

• A parent or legal guardian is contacted for consent.
• The nurse will request a visit with Morris.
• The campus nurse will collect vitals.
• Virtual visit begins

Celina ISD began school on August 13. Parents can register for the program online.

Just a quick reminder of my big fever rules. Click the links to learn more:

1. You don’t always have to rush off to the ER for a fever. No matter how high.

2. In a well-appearing child, it’s OK to watch fever at home, even up to 5 days.

3. You only have to treat fever to keep the child comfortable. Don’t treat the thermometer.

But what if your little one has a fever and it doesn’t seem to be going away? What should you be worried about?

Let me just start by saying this…this article is intended for children 6 months to 3 years who are fully vaccinated and are otherwise acting pretty normal. Why?

• Older kids are usually much better about telling us if something hurts.
• In children who haven’t received all of their vaccinations, we have to consider some other infections that have otherwise pretty much gone away.
• If a child isn’t acting normal (is lethargic, not drinking and peeing or has other concerning symptoms), they should be taken in for care (probably to the ER).

Sometimes it’s really obvious where the fever is coming from but other times it’s not. Here are some infections we think about when it’s not really clear:

1. Ear infection – Often kids with ear infections will have fever, fussiness, runny nose/cough and will be pulling at their ears but other times it might not be so clear.

2. Pneumonia – Most children with pneumonia will have symptoms such as rapid breathing or difficulty breathing but not always.

3. Urinary tract infection – This is actually one of the most common reasons for kids to have fever without symptoms in this age group. They just can’t tell you that it hurts when they pee.

4. Meningitis – The younger you are, the more likely a child is to have meningitis only presenting with fever.

5. “Viruses” – This might be the answer you don’t like to hear but, besides ear infections, it’s probably the one you want to have. Sometimes a child will present with just fever or fever and very little else until a few days into the illness when viral symptoms like runny nose, cough or rash become more prominent.

So, if your baby’s fever doesn’t go away after 3-4 days, what should you expect?

Your doctor should take a thorough history and do a full physical. If the diagnosis isn’t clear, here are the tests that are likely to be run:

1. Blood work – A blood count and some markers of inflammation will help determine if the infection is more like viral or bacterial.

2. Urine sample – Even though it’s not fun because urine catheterization in this age is no fun for anyone, getting a urine sample is critical because UTI is such a common cause.

3. Chest X-ray – Due to the fact that pneumonia can be a cause, getting a chest x-ray will usually be necessary.

4. Other – Depending on the baby’s story, physical exam and the results of the initial lab work, further testing may be necessary.

When your little one has a fever, it can be really scary. Keep in mind that most fevers have obvious causes or go away quickly on their own. But when they don’t, now you’ll know what to expect.

Fever has been recognized as being around for thousands of years. And yet it’s never gone away. We’ve just not evolved it away. Which must mean it benefits us, right?

The process of a fever, simplified/Dr. Diane-ified:

1. A germ (virus or bacteria) enters your body. One of your immune cells floating around notices it. It freaks out. It makes a whole bunch of chemicals to freak everybody else out. HIGH ALERT, EVERYONE!

2. The chemicals reach your brain (the hypothalamus, in particular). The hypothalamus says OK GUYS, GET THE ARMY OUT THERE, STAT. DO YOUR THANG. I'LL MAKE THIS PLACE REAL HOT TO HELP OUT!

3. The brain thermostat is set at a new number. Instead of 98 F, he’s now gonna re-set at 102 F.

4. Heart rate speeds up. Breathing speeds up. Blood vessels open, flush. The body is physically pushing the blood around faster, to get the white blood cells there quicker.

5. Muscles shiver, generating heat. You start making more immune cells. They travel around faster. They talk to each other more effectively. They “stick” to the bad guys better.

6. You feel cold, because your new “set” thermostat wants you to be 102F. You're not there yet, so your body is trying to get you there. You shiver. Your muscles ache.

7. Soon, the germ can’t replicate as much as it wants to. It can't divide and conquer. Maybe even its protective coating starts to break down a little bit.

After a few days of fever, you beat the germ! Thank you, glorious fever and fabulous immune system!

Studies have shown (in rats and iguanas) that there is even a higher success rate at overcoming a virus or bacteria if a fever is allowed to burn rather than when they're given medications to bring it down.

Oh my gosh. Aren’t our bodies amazing? And are you feeling a teeny bit better about that number on the thermometer?

Most of the time, fever is just a sign that the body is fighting something, and you just need to try to keep your kiddo hydrated and comfortable.

You do not have to run to the ER, or my office, at the very first sign of a fever if your child is over age 3 months.

But sometimes, fever isn't OK.

My son once woke up with a fever of 105.7F. I remember the day clearly. I totally freaked out, just like you do. Then I asked myself – what do I tell my patient families to do?

Once I tried a few different thermometers and they all read the same number, I gave him a dose of ibuprofen and put him in a warm bath (NOT cold – warm) and let him play.

I watched him closely. I made sure he was breathing OK, and able to drink. He seemed fine, just super grumpy.

After about 45 minutes, I re-checked his temp. It was 102F. He was sitting on the couch, drinking water and talking comfortably. I was OK with this. And he did fine. He had a fever for three days, and a runny nose and a little cough, and it went away. He had a virus, and his body took care of it.

6 Types of Thermometers:

1. Thermometer forehead “strips”, pacifier thermometers, and wearable thermometers - don’t buy them. Save your money. 

2. Forehead “temporal” thermometers – they’re OK. We use this kind in the office. Good days and bad days, and I think they’re usually as accurate as the ear ones.

3. Tympanic (ear) ones – easy to use. Pretty accurate. Don't use under 6 months, ear canals too tiny.

4. Rectal - most accurate (good luck)

5. Oral - second most accurate, if they can hold their mouths shut

6. Armpit - least accurate

Yes, you add one degree to the armpit temp measurements. Although again, I dislike the math.

But what I want to drive home is: if the child looks fine otherwise, the number often doesn’t matter too much to me.

Febrile seizures:

Something like 2-4 percent of kids between the ages of 6 months and 5 years have febrile seizures. This means they may have a seizure when they have a high fever spike. They usually stop by age 5.

These are super scary, but actually don’t cause any brain damage. The child should be rolled onto his side, and watched closely. Don’t stick anything into his mouth.

VERY rarely, unrelenting and long febrile seizures may indicate a bigger problem like something neurologic or genetic going on. But again, this is super rare.

Febrile seizures may run in families. If the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, call an ambulance. Again, these are rare, and usually very benign.

Whew. OK. I hope this helps you understand fevers better!

Education is empowerment in your child's health! The more you know, the better you feel!

Want even more on beautiful science of fever? It's all laid out here, with lots of big words and acronyms.

Have a great day, friends!

Dr. Diane

1. I’d be Terrified the Day my First Child was Born. Guess what? Reading tons of books about the health of children makes you no less prone to the paralyzing fear that arrives when that new cute little elephant-in-the-room appears. I wish they came with an instruction manual instead of a placenta.
2. Breastfeeding Ain't Easy. I had a lot of difficulties breastfeeding one of my children. He had horrible reflux, a poor latch, and a stubborn disposition. I thought, "hey – breastfeeding shouldn’t be that bad, right? You just put the baby on the boob and they figure out the rest!" Nope. It’s no wonder there are some wonderful people out there who dedicate their whole career to helping women breastfeed. And guess what? I had to use some formula to get my kid through his first year. And that’s OK.
3. Children Sometimes (All the time) Don’t Go By the Book. First teeth don’t always appear when the books say they do. Weird rashes never look like the pictures online. My daughter had lots of motor delays, way past when the books said she should….and she’s fine now. It takes the experience of a good pediatrician to let you know when to worry, since all kids are so different. We gain experience via treating thousands of patients with time. I had to take off my pediatrician hat and only wear my mama hat when it came to my kids. And had a great pediatrician reassure me that everything would be OK.
4. Fevers Make Me Worry, Too. My son once woke up with a 105.6F temperature when he was a toddler. Of course I was supposed to be seeing patients in the office 20 minutes later. That was one of the most difficult mornings of my life. I had to choose who to care for – my son, or my patients? I took some deep breaths and tried to talk myself through what I tell my patient’s parents. Warm bath, dose of ibuprofen, lots of snuggles (with Daddy). He was fine. But it reinforced why I’ll never judge a parent who is worried even about the tiniest of temperature elevations. 
5. Living with a Toddler is Like Living with an Irrational, Angry Drunk Person. I’d read all the books about effective behavior management. Learned techniques for distraction, offering choices, creating reward charts. But when your three year old is flailing on the floor, mopping the tile with his Oscar-worthy tearfest all because I offered the blue plate instead of the red one…one questions how many bottles of wine to buy for the week.
6. Explaining Simple Things Can Become Very Difficult. “Why is that man in a wheely-chair, Mommy?” “Why did Harper’s dog die? Where did he go?” “How do planes work?” “How come kids go to different churches?” Being a board-certified pediatrician doesn’t mean that I don’t struggle with how to explain things to my kids. I want to be fair and accurate and informative…and somehow word it in a way that my little people understand it. It’s hard, I know. And I can’t promise I do it any better than you. But like you, I’m trying my best!
7. The Online Mothering Community Can Be Both Supportive and Judgmental. It really does take a village to raise a child. And I really hadn’t dabbled in the online world of mothering until I became one. What are the best breast pumps available? Where are the best parks in town? Which restaurants are most kid-friendly? I loved all the readily available advice I found online, but with that help also came the judgmental comments, the guilt, and the unintentional comparing of myself to others. I quickly put a stop to the latter in my mind – and now understand how to better reach my patient moms, who struggle with this dichotomy of feelings social media can conjure.
8. Becoming a Mom Doesn’t Mean I Have to Change Who I Am and What I Love. I was fiercely independent and very driven before I had kids. This hasn’t changed since my two little turkeys came into the world. It did however change how much time I’d have to practice my hobbies and be the best doctor I could possibly be. My lifestyle had to change a bit, but I’ve found that staying true to what you need to be happy – whether it's picking up a camera, a book, getting some time at the gym – makes you a better mom. Do it, and don’t feel guilty about some time to yourself.

I share these pieces of vulnerability and advice with you so that you know you’re not alone. Being a great mom means many things, and know that even childhood experts have their daily struggles. I’m still learning every day. And I always tell my patient’s moms: my two best teachers are my kids. At the end of the day, no matter how many arguments and challenges have ensued, if your kids know they’re loved, you’ve reached beautiful success.