Offering HIDOE Students Free Virtual Visits with a Nurse Practitioner
The Hawaii Keiki (HK): Healthy & Ready to Learn Program’s Virtual Keiki Care Program is a form of telehealth and uses high-quality video technology to connect a HK Registered Nurse (RN) or trained HK Health Technicians (HT) to a HK Nurse Practitioner (APRN). The HK Nurse Practitioner conducts a virtual examination to provide a diagnosis and plan of care for the student, including providing prescriptions if deemed appropriate.
Virtual Keiki Care visits can address many medical concerns such as earaches, sore throats, and rashes. If needed, the HK Nurse Practitioner can prescribe medication for the student or order lab tests. Information on the visit is always sent to the student’s primary care provider.
Virtual Keiki Care provides students with access to higher levels of care in the health room, removes transportation and financial barriers for families, improves access to care for rural schools, and keeps students healthy and in the classroom.
How Virtual Keiki Care Works
Before the Virtual Keiki Care visit, parents or guardians will receive a call from the HK RN or HT asking if they would like a Virtual Keiki Care visit for their student. Parents or guardians may attend the visit virtually on their phone or computer, in-person with their student, or have the HK Nurse Practitioner call after the visit to discuss their findings and the plan of care.
After obtaining parental or guardian consent, the HK RN or Health Technician will use telehealth video equipment to connect with a HK Nurse Practitioner. The HK RN will then initiate a virtual exam with the HK Nurse Practitioner using a handheld camera, iPad and other equipment. The HK Nurse Practitioner then completes a virtual physical assessment with the student.
After the visit, the HK Nurse Practitioner will make a diagnosis and develop a plan of care. The HK Nurse Practitioner can provide a prescription or order necessary laboratory tests. If the parent was not included in the call, the HK Nurse Practitioner will contact the parent with a summary of the visit. The HK Nurse Practitioner will also share information on the visit with the students’ Primary Care Provider.
Students and families will not receive a bill for the visit although insurance information will be collected and may be billed. For a demonstration of a virtual visit, watch the video above.
Contact
Neighbor Island Supervisory APRN and Virtual Health Lead
Hawaii Keiki: Healthy & Ready to Learn
Cell: (808) 268-2025
Email: kmozumder@ucera.org
Hawaii Keiki: Healthy & Ready to Learn
2528 McCarthy Mall, Webster 402
Honolulu, HI 96822
Phone: (808) 956-8522
Email: hikeiki@hawaii.edu
Health Hotline (Toll Free): (844) 436-3888
Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding holidays & breaks