Volume 19 Issue 2 • Spring 2016
Exciting news!
The School-Based Health Newsletter is evolving to better share information and keep in
touch with families! Coming in the fall 2016, we are transitioning from a printed newsletter
to more frequent posts on Facebook as well as regular health articles from the SchoolBased Health team on our website. With regular updates we will be better able to share
timely information. We’re most excited that this will give us more chances to hear from
you, so that you can let us know what you like and want to hear more about. Find us at
bassett.org/sbhc and Facebook.com/BassettSBHC.
Deborah Schlesinger, Editor
[email protected]
Attention, Seniors!
Important information: seniors, once you graduate from high school your care with School-Based Health will conclude.
This is a regulation established by the New York State Department of Health. We are here to prepare you for your transition
to primary care and guide you through the time you graduate to be sure that you have all the information you need
to make decisions about your health care.
Care checklist:
1. Sign up for MyBassett Health Connection.
2. Check your college or new job’s health requirements.
3. Visit your SBH clinic to obtain copies of your latest physical and
immunization records.
4. Have your SBH provider sign any college, camp or job forms
that you need.
5. Reconsider the HPV immunization if you have not received it,
as it helps to prevent certain types of cancer.
6. Make sure follow-up appointments have been scheduled with
your provider of choice for contraception, counseling for
depression, anxiety and/or medications, ADHD prescriptions or
any other medications that you may be taking.
7. Consider Bassett Prime Care or any of the multiple family clinics
for your follow-up care; we will be happy to help you become established with your new care team.
Betsy Rodgers, PhD, FNP-C
School-Based Health
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” - Albert Einstein
The Truth about Teething: Distinguishing between Primary and Secondary Teeth
Children usually have 20 primary (baby) teeth, which often erupt at about 6 months of age. They are then shed at various times
throughout childhood. By age 21, all 32 permanent teeth have usually erupted. The first permanent molars usually erupt between
6 and 7 years old. For this reason, they are often called the “six-year molars.” These important teeth sometimes are mistaken
for primary teeth because they do not replace an existing primary tooth. However, they are permanent and must be cared for
properly if they are to last throughout a child’s lifetime.
Sealants (thin plastic coatings that protect teeth from cavities) are usually recommended on the six-year molars as well as the
12-year molars, when the teeth are fully erupted.
Cathy Rogers, RDH
School-Based Health
A Bittersweet Reality: How Much Sugar Is Too Much Sugar?
For the first time ever, the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 makes a specific recommendation for
the amount of sugar we consume daily. Revised every 5 years by the federal government, the Dietary Guidelines are based
on a review of available research and designed to help all of us eat a healthier diet. The newest edition indicates that less
than 10 percent of our daily calories should come from added sugars. This does not include the naturally occurring sugars
in dairy products and fruits.
The average teenager currently consumes approximately 17 percent of his or her daily
calories from added sugars. Where does all this sugar come from? The pie graph to the
left shows the breakdown, but those of you familiar with the 5-2-1-0 program will not be
surprised to learn that the largest culprit is sugar-sweetened beverages!
As warm weather approaches, be sure to think about your drink and cut your daily sugar
(and calorie) intake significantly by reaching for water - plain and infused with a spritz of
100 percent juice or a slice of fruit – and enjoy!
(This resource is adapted from Let’s Go! materials. www.letsgo.org
“New Guidelines for Sugar – And How to Scale Back”, January 14,
2016 and Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020).
Deb Faoro-Rodrigues, CDN, RD
School-Based Health
“We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.” - Mary Dunbar
Immunization News
The Journal of Pediatrics recently published a study showing a decrease in the prevalence of human papillomavirus
(HPV) infection, which causes certain types of cancer, after introduction of the HPV vaccination program in the
United States.
Within 6 years of vaccine introduction, there was a 64 percent decrease in 4vHPV type prevalence among females
aged 14 to 19 years, and a 34 percent decrease among those aged 20 to 24 years. This finding extends previous
observations of population impact in the United States and demonstrates the first national evidence of impact
among females in their 20s.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported a preliminary overall influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) of 59
percent for the 2015-2016 season. This data was recently presented at a meeting of the agency’s Advisory Committee
for Immunization Practices (ACIP) in Atlanta. This finding is comparable to past estimates for seasons when most
circulating flu viruses and vaccine viruses have been similar.
Data reports from the U.S. Flu VE Network calculate more specific VE estimates:
• 51 percent VE against the H1N1 viruses responsible for most flu illness this season
• 76 percent VE against all influenza B viruses
• 79 percent VE against the B/Yamagata lineage of B viruses
Learn more online: www.immunize.org/express/issue1232.asp
Overcoming the Senioritis Phenomenon: A Parent’s Role
If your child is a member of the Class of 2016, you may have noticed some changes in his or her behavior recently. Normally
diligent students may experience a drop in grades or seem apathetic about their studies. They may have increased truancy or
tardiness. They may want to spend more time with friends or quit clubs or sports that have been important throughout their
high school career. You may notice that your senior is irritable and more argumentative. These are all symptoms of a common
phenomenon known as “senioritis.” There is not a formal diagnosis for “senioritis,” but it often shares symptoms with real life
diagnoses such as depression or anxiety. At its root, senioritis is your senior’s response to impending changes. Leaving the nest
and going off to college or entering the military or workforce is a stressful life transition. They will be leaving their friends,
family and familiar environment for new, unknown territory. Whether it’s positive or negative, change is difficult.
Some helpful tips for dealing with senioritis:
• Remember your role as a parent in this stage of your child’s life.
Remember: “guide, not ride.” You’re the coach, not a player.
• Understand this is a part of growing up and although there
are many exciting and joyful transitions occurring, it can be
a stressful time. Behaviors are a reaction to the stress.
• Communication is important. Point out what you see in
a non-judgmental way. Talk about the stress and the
feelings underlying the behavior and then problem
solve. Ask your teen about his or her ideas for
improving the situation.
If you are concerned about your teen, need support,
or have questions about what your teen’s plans are after
graduation, contact your student’s guidance counselor, primary
health care provider, and/or your child’s School-Based
Health team.
Gayle Wheeler, LCSW-R
School-Based Health
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunit y for kindness.” - Seneca
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 422
ONEONTA, NY
One Atwell Road
Cooperstown, NY 13326
Do you or your children
need health insurance?
You may be eligible for free
or low-cost health insurance!
If you would like someone to assist
you in applying for Child Health Plus,
Family Health Plus or Medicaid,
or want more information, please
contact your School-Based Health
Center or call Bassett Healthcare
Network’s Eligibility Support
program at 1-607-433-4040.
School-Based Health Summer Hours
Bassett School-Based Health will be open with a modified schedule over
the summer. Call 1-844-ALL-SBHC to schedule an appointment and find
out more information about our summer schedule.
Need to contact School-Based Health?
We’re available year-round.
844-ALL-SBHC (844-255-7242)
A representative is available to answer your calls from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every weekday.
If you need to reach us after hours or on holidays, please call 1-800-BASSETT (800-227-7388).
“Life is not the way it’s supposed to be, it’s the way it is. The way you cope with that is what makes the difference.” - Virginia Satir