School Health Information for Providers
Healthy Students Are Better Learners
During every visit, ask your school-aged patients and their families if they submitted a completed UHC and OHA to their school. If not, make sure to complete the UHC during the visit and refer the child to his or her dentist to schedule an appointment for a dental exam.
To ensure that all District of Columbia (DC) students have the opportunity to be healthy and successful, District law requires all children to submit a D.C. Universal Health Certificate and Oral Health Assessment Form each year as a part of school enrollment. These forms document an annual visit to the primary care provider and primary dental provider—to be valid for school reporting purposes, visit dates must be within 365 days of the first day of school. The Universal Health Certificate (UHC) and Oral Health Assessment Form are the primary sources of information used by schools to document a child’s health status.
How Primary Care Providers Can Help
As a primary care provider, here are some steps you can take to help ensure that your school-aged patients are receiving the preventive care they need:
- Be aware and utilize the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Early Stages Screening and Evaluation program that provides free screenings and evaluations for developmental delays and disabilities in children ages 2 years 8 months to 5 years 10 months.
- Follow-up with patients with an overdue well-child visit and help schedule an appointment.
- Have hard copies of the UHC available in each exam room.
- Follow the DC Periodicity Schedule during the well-child exam.
- Complete all fields on the UHC during the well-child exam, including the health concerns section that notes any specific health or developmental concerns.
- Complete the Medication and Treatment Authorization form if child has diabetes, asthma, allergies, or other medical conditions that may require treatment and management during school hours (or appropriate disease specific documentation).
- Complete the Medical Statement to Request Dietary Accommodations if the child has special dietary needs.
- Sign all of the necessary health forms, and have the parent/guardian sign the forms as well.
- Make a copy of the completed (and signed) health forms and add them to the patient’s medical record.
- Explain the purpose of the completed forms, and instruct the parent/guardian to give the forms to the child’s school Registrar’s office.