HB 2516 -
By Representative Green
ADOPTED 02/13/2008
On page 1, beginning on line 5, strike all of section 1 and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature recognizes that schools and
their health personnel are important elements in ensuring the health of
Washington's youth. Allowing school personnel to focus their efforts
on providing the best care is essential for continued success.
Schools are currently required to screen students for scoliosis,
which affects approximately two to three percent of the general
population. Detection and identification of cases that require medical
attention is vital. However, the legislature finds that schools are
not the ideal setting for these screenings, nor are they the best use
of school health personnel resources. The lack of a simple and rapid
test that provides reliable diagnoses results in referrals to
unnecessary care, which is limited in effectiveness for mild to
moderate cases. This may lead to financial and emotional hardship for
the student and family. Scoliosis screening is more appropriately
provided as part of preventive care by a student's primary care
provider.
Removing scoliosis screening as a responsibility of school
districts will result in more reliable diagnoses, and allow school
health personnel to focus their efforts on improving the health of
their unique student populations."
EFFECT: Removes legislative findings related to shortages of school nurses and the inefficiency of conducting scoliosis screenings at schools and replaces it with legislative findings that scoliosis screenings are more appropriately conducted by primary care providers rather than school health personnel.