District Nurse's Office

Barbara A Young RN
District Nurse Liaison
Long Beach Public Schools
516-897-2301
516-897-2151
Fax: 516-771-3852
email:bayoung@lbeach.org

Important Forms and Notices: (newer ones always appear closer to the top)

01/04/12 Seasonal Flu Guide for Parents

12/08/11 BMI Notice (body mass index)

HIPAA In The School Setting

HIPAA (the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) went into effect on April 14, 2001 and is federal law that imposes standards for the protection of individual health information.  It is important to distinguish between HIPAA and FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).  Educational records that are subject to FERPA are expressly exempted from HIPAA's coverage.  Therefore, the confidentiality and privacy of school health records that are part of the student's educational record are governed solely by FERPA.  The passage of HIPAA does NOT change that in any way.  HIPAA does, however, affect the nature of the exchange of information from the student's health care provider TO the school.  Previous informal exchanges between health providers and school health staff are no longer permitted; explicit written authorization is required from the parent or guardian in order for information to flow to the school.  For example, immunization records require such authorization.
 
Within the school setting, FERPA continues to govern the exchange of health care information that is contained in the student's educational record.  It is not necessary to obtain a release of information from a parent or guardian in order to share such information with school staff for the purposes of insuring the best and most appropriate care for a student.
 
Need More Information?
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued the regulation "Standards of Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information."  Within HHS, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for implementing and enforcing the privacy regulation.  The OCR has a website that offers HIPAA background and general information, technical assistance, frequently asked questions, and links to other relevant sites.  The website can be found at: www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/.