Communities in Action: Join Us in Improving Health Equity in Schools

Health equity in schools is not just an educational issue; it’s a critical public health concern that requires immediate attention, innovative solutions and meaningful action.

What is healthy equity? Simply put, it’s when everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their full health potential, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status or other factors that affect access to care and health outcomes. Achieving health equity is crucial for the wellbeing and vitality of communities.

Whether driven by structural inequities, community-wide situations or a lack of funding, awareness or training, schools can face many challenges when working to achieve health equity for students. As the region’s pediatric health care leader, Children’s Nebraska has the unique opportunity — and responsibility — to help bridge the gap and ensure that every child has access to the resources they need for a healthy start in life.

I’m here to share actionable steps we can all take to support schools and, ultimately, improve the lives of children.

Be an advocate

Children are among our most vulnerable populations, yet when it comes to public health concerns, they’re at risk of being overlooked and they can’t advocate for themselves. That’s where we can step in to be their voice and advocate for change. At Children’s, advocacy is a key pillar of our mission. We are consistently and proactively working to support children’s health outside the walls of our hospital and clinics. Community engagement, collaboration with health care providers and data-driven interventions are essential strategies in this advocacy.

Data from the community health needs assessment, administered every three years, helps our Community Health & Advocacy team identify the greatest needs of local families. These results inform our “impact areas,” where we focus a large part of our team’s time and energy. Examples include access to quality health care, food and nutrition security, safe and healthy housing and more. As we look at how — and where — we can impact child health the most, we’ve identified schools as a consistent place where we can reach kids.

You can, too. Whether you are a parent, caregiver, health care professional, school staff member or fellow child health champion, we empower you to use your voice to ensure all students have the opportunity to thrive academically and personally. This can look (and sound) like a variety of things, including promoting policies that provide access to nutritious meals, regular physical activity and mental health services.

By working together toward health equity, we can help mitigate the impact of social determinants of health and create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment — ultimately fostering better academic outcomes and healthier futures for all children.

Engage in strategic partnerships and knowledge sharing

Our dedication to child health extends beyond our hospitals and clinics and, while we focus on where we can make an impact when kids aren’t under our roof, we know we can’t do it alone. Individually, we don’t have the power to improve all social determinants of health for our communities, but we can link arms in this work and truly make an impact.

Good information and resources can be hard for schools to locate, recommendations can change quickly and keeping up with current guidelines can be time-consuming. By engaging in strategic, intentional partnerships and educating and equipping one another, we can drive substantial improvements in health equity.

At Children’s, we’re fortunate to partner with expert organizations like the Nebraska Department of Education, the NEBRASKA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the Nebraska ICAP & ASAP and many more.

Through our partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education and its Coordinated Student Support Services (CSSS), we support school health staff with best practices, specialized training tools, a school nurse mentor program and resources surrounding conditions like life-threatening asthma and anaphylaxis, seizures, Type 1 Diabetes and more.

We teamed up with several other reputable organizations to co-write the Nebraskan Infection Control for Education handbook, taking the guesswork out of preventing and managing infectious diseases in schools and providing some easy-to-use tools and resources. This handbook provides the best and most up-to-date information, so school staff in Nebraska can spend less time searching for answers and more time doing the important work of educating and caring for students. 

The ratio of school nurses to students in Nebraska is higher than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, especially in small urban counties. Moreover, 32 counties, which constitute 34% of all counties in Nebraska, lack a school nurse entirely. All students deserve the same access to health care, and we must help equip these nurses with all the tools they need to take the best care of kids.

Take action in life-changing initiatives  

Another priority is helping schools and organizations become Heart Safe through Project ADAM. Children’s nationally-recognized Project ADAM team — a joint effort between Children’s Cardiology and Community Health & Advocacy departments — is helping our communities be better prepared for a sudden cardiac arrest, with more Nebraska schools and organizations becoming Heart Safe designated each year.

In 2023 alone, 51 schools and one community site received the Project Adam Heart Safe Designation, which requires schools or sites to be equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED), a cardiac emergency response plan, a cardiac emergency response Team with CPR/AED training and practice drills.

What does this mean for you and how can you get involved? Speak up and ensure schools have the resources and training in place to create a healthy environment for all students. Explore Project ADAM resources — like a Heart Safe checklist — on our website and ensure your school, child’s school and/or organization is Heart Safe by filling out the Project ADAM interest form.

Children's is steadfast in its commitment to improve health equity, and our journey to enhance the quality of care we provide to every child and family we serve is ongoing. Through advocacy, training, strategic partnerships and more, we can help create environments that support the holistic wellbeing of children and adolescents regardless of background or circumstance.

Megan Connelly, vice president of Community Health & Advocacy at Children’s Nebraska, is passionate about improving health outcomes for children and families. With more than 30 years of nursing and leadership experience, Megan is skilled at fostering relationships to enhance patient care, the healthcare environment and the community overall.

She is dedicated to advocating for pediatric health care and driving innovation to improve conditions where children live and grow. Beyond her work at Children’s, she serves on the boards of Omaha Bridges Out of Poverty, Lutheran Family Services, Healthy Housing Omaha and Building Healthy Futures.

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