Dr. Kristina Simeonsson, a physician with ECU Health Pediatrics, has long heard stories of children missing school because they couldn’t get health assessments or vaccines before the state-required deadline. But now, after months of planning, a shared vision and the desire to support public school children at risk of exclusion due to missed health requirements, Pitt County’s first-ever health assessment and vaccine clinic is helping flip the script for families in-need of care.
“This clinic changes that challenge,” said Dr. Simeonsson. “Instead of being suspended for weeks or months, these kids can stay in school and keep learning.”
For ECU Health, the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital, and the Pitt County Health Department, this initiative is more than just a service—it’s a lifeline for local students. The clinic marks the culmination of a shared dream to improve access to care for children, and its success was clear as about 140 students received essential health services over two days, ensuring they can remain in school without disruption.
According to North Carolina state law, all children entering public schools for the first time or starting kindergarten are required to complete a health assessment and receive certain vaccines. Failure to meet these requirements within 30 days of the first day of school results in exclusion until proper documentation is provided. For many students, especially those new to the area or without a medical home, accessing these services can be a significant barrier.
“Keeping students in school, safe, healthy and ready to learn is a key priority for all school nurses,” said Laurie Reed, nurse manager for the School Health Program, Maynard Children’s Hospital. “One of the biggest challenges faced by school nurses in Pitt County at the beginning of each school year is identifying available resources for their students and families to obtain state required health assessments and immunizations. Significant efforts are made by Pitt County Schools, the Pitt County Health Department and Maynard Children’s Hospital School Health Program to provide widespread communication of state requirements to parents and caregivers throughout the year however we still find that a large number of students are at risk for exclusion on the 30th calendar day of school.”
Dr. Simeonsson and Kayla Manning, public health nursing supervisor for Child Health and Immunization Programs at the Pitt County Health Department, led the clinic, which included the help of pediatric residents, nurses from both organizations, ECU Health school nurse care managers, Brody School of Medicine students, ECU Health child life specialists, and the ECU Health Pediatric Asthma Program. Together, they offered health assessments, vaccines, asthma screenings and referrals for follow-up care.
Dr. Simeonsson emphasized the importance of teamwork in making the clinic a reality.
“We couldn’t have offered this clinic without Kayla, her staff and ECU Health school nurses,” Dr. Simeonsson said. “The collaboration between the health department and our providers has been critical. We’re doing the health assessment part, but Kayla’s team handles the essential screenings and vaccinations, making the process seamless.”
Manning echoed the sentiment, adding, “We’ve long hoped to plan a clinic like this, and working together with ECU Health has allowed us to meet the needs of these children. It’s truly a collaborative effort.”
One of the clinic’s primary goals was to ensure that children not only met their health requirements for school but also received follow-up care for other potential needs. Many of the students had no established primary care provider, meaning they lacked consistent access to health care services. The clinic provided referrals for additional care, such as dental or eye exams, and connected families with available resources.
In addition to helping organize the clinic, Dr. Simeonsson has been supervising the ECU Health pediatric residents and Brody students who are completing the children’s health assessments.
Dr. Abigail Maiorana-Boutilier is one third year resident in the ECU Health Internal Medicine – Pediatrics Residency Program that volunteered at the clinic. She noted that the kids they have seen at the clinic are kids that were not going to be able to go to school after the deadline to receive their vaccines and health assessments that are now able to remain in school. Knowing that makes all the difference for Dr. Maiorana-Boutilier.
“I think it’s one of the most important initiatives that we are able to do as residents because this is very tangible in how we’re helping these kids,” said Dr. Maiorana-Boutilier. “And you see the parents, their relief when they leave here because they know that they their kids can go to school the next day. Being able to get these parents and their kids in, get their vaccines and health assessments and everything done in one day and be able to relieve this huge burden from them is the most rewarding, satisfying feeling ever.”
In addition to the standard health assessments, the Maynard Children’s Hospital Pediatric Asthma Program participated in the clinic to address asthma management. According to Candace Cahoon, respiratory care manager with the program, asthma is the leading cause of missed school days in the United States. Her team performed noninvasive tests to check for lung inflammation and provided asthma action plans, medication administration forms and free inhaler spacers for students.
For both ECU Health and the Pitt County Health Department, this clinic represents the culmination of planning and a shared dream of improving access to care for local children. Dr. Simeonsson described the initiative as “a community response” to a widespread issue.
Medical students like Lauren Nuriddin, a fourth-year student at Brody School of Medicine, played an active role in the clinic. For Nuriddin, who plans to specialize in pediatrics, the experience was a powerful reminder of why she chose this career path.
“I have a very close relationship with Dr. Simeonsson, and we share a lot of the same passions,” said Nuriddin. “I started volunteering for events like these last year, and I’ve been to Duplin County with the Healthier Lives initiative, and I’ve been to different areas around the region. This clinic specifically is really important to me because there’s a lot of research on the effects that happens after kids become suspended, how it affects their confidence and their ability to continue forward in school successfully. It’s a whole downhill domino effect, so it’s important that we make sure we can mitigate this however we can.”
This clinic, the first of its kind in Pitt County, could serve as a model for similar initiatives across the state. The success of the event, which saw more than 130 students in a week, highlights the urgent need for accessible health care services for school-age children. Crystal Kiani, nurse and child health coordinator, Pitt County Health Department, said a lot of the patients they have seen have recently moved to Pitt County from out of state, so they need physicals to get into school.
Valerie Tunnell, nurse and immunization coordinator, Pitt County Health Department, said, “Overall, we are seeing a lot of kids, and we’re meeting the need. We maxed out on appointments today, and we were maxed out on our last clinic day. Because of events like today, we’re able to make sure that the kids are seeing a health care provider and not slipping through the cracks.”
With the clinic’s success, ECU Health, Maynard Children’s Hospital and the Pitt County Health Department are already looking at ways to expand these services and continue improving access to health care for children across the region. Pitt County Schools said the clinic and collaboration made a significant impact on their students.
“I am deeply grateful to the Pitt County Public Health Department, ECU Health team and our Pitt County Schools School Health Managers for their unwavering commitment in working together to plan this event over a six-month period,” said Sara English, Pitt County Schools Interim Executive Director of Student Services. “Their collaboration is breaking down barriers and ensuring that every student has access to the essential health care they need to be able to remain in school and meet state-mandated expectations. It’s a powerful reminder of the strength we find when we come together to support our students and families.”