1    Nurse Practitioner
125  Public Health Nurses/ School Nurses
8    School Health Assistants      
1    Social Worker      
2    Nutritionists
1    Health Educator     
10    Administrative and support staff

We care for 137,000 students in 166 schools.

Nurse Practitioners

The Pediatric /School Nurse Practitioner works the School Nurses to help assure access to health care for children without primary health care. There are two Nurse Practitioners, one works primarily with the High School Challenge and the other works with primarily elementary age children. The Nurse Practitioners also help School Nurses to develop their assessment skills and make appropriate referrals to outside health care.  

School Nurses

All school nurses hold a minimum of BS in nursing.  Each nurse has an assignment from 1-3 schools, providing high quality school health services through needs assessment and case management of chronic health conditions such as asthma, childhood obesity, diabetes, severe allergy or epilepsy in the schools (link to sheet).  Referrals are made to the school nurse by school staff or parent request, and the nurses serve as resources for staff to assist in meeting the health needs of students.

The role of School Health Services is to strengthen and support Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools in building healthy school communities that promote success in learning.  

• Promote healthy behaviors.
• Help families get health services for children with serious health problems (case management of significant health needs).
• Track health problems or concerns.
• Counsel students and refer them to health care services if necessary and referrals to meet student's needs.
• Provide health instruction.
• Promote health in the school.
• Promote health screenings, and
• Act as a resource person for staff health needs.

School Nurses work to help with Student Achievement . They have a direct impact on promoting student achievement, by keeping students in school and attending to their health needs. School nurses serve as counselors, nurturers, and caring adults who provide a safe haven for children.  They do this by being available to students, and helping the students address problems that could otherwise interfere with a student's academic focus.

School nurses help educate students, parents, and school staff about health-related issues. Other examples of activities that support student achievement include newsletters for parents, teaching in classroom settings about hygiene, hand washing, nutrition, growth and maturation; and guidance to parents on health information.

School Health Assistants

School Health Assistants are Licensed Practical Nurses & Medical Office Assistants who support the School Nurses in providing services to the CMS students. 

School Health Nutritionists

School Health Nutrition Services include:

• Individual and family consultations in schools
• Nutrition education programs
• Nutrition promotion
• Classroom lesson plans
• Community nutrition programs like cooking demonstrations or supermarket tours

Medical Nutrition Therapy

Medical Nutrition Therapy involves education about nutrition and lifestyle changes that provide clients with flexible choices to improve their health.  Students may be seen for nutritional needs due to obesity, diabetes, poor diet, underweight, pregnancy, anorexia/bulimia or chronic illness. The Nutritionists also offer classroom nutrition programs.  

School Health Social Worker 

Marty Brownlow, MSW, CCSW
The School Health Social Worker addresses mental health issues with middle and high school students.

Service include:

• Perform assessments, consultations with nurses, linkage to resources and provide direct interventions when indicated.
• Helps students address issues of stress, depression, anxiety as well as social issues.
• Assists  chronically ill students when social and emotional issues compound the  medical impact.
• Helps students with both obesity issues and eating disorders.

Health Educator