Tag: Horry County Schools

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South Carolina Athletic Trainers Take Part in Fentanyl Training

Article reposted from WMBF News
Author: Meredith Helline

WMBFNews.com, Myrtle Beach/Florence SC, Weather

The people taking care of student-athletes have received a special type of training to be proactive against one of the biggest epidemics sweeping the country.

Athletic trainers with Horry County Schools learned how to safely identify, handle and report any questionable substance found in school during training with Grand Strand Hospital and the Horry County Police Department.

Dr. Jim Berry is a teacher and the head athletic trainer with Conway High School. He said he and a few others decided to team up with an emergency room doctor and narcotics police officers to better train athletic trainers as the drug epidemic becomes more evident in communities.

Fentanyl is causing overdoses across the nation, even leading to accidental overdoses by non-drug users who come in contact with it.  Berry said finding drugs in school athletic facilities is not an issue in the county, but it’s a big enough issue in the community to work with other leaders to help solve the problem.

Berry said athletic trainers often serve as the primary health provider for student-athletes in the county.

“I know, personally, I monitor very carefully our athletes that have had some sort of surgical procedure and have been prescribed pain medication because we want to get them off that pain medication as quickly as we can because it is so addictive,” Berry said. “And our physicians that we work with are very good about that as well.”

Berry said Horry County Schools’ 21 athletic trainers also help in battling the drug epidemic by getting student-athletes off of post-surgery pain medications as soon as possible.

Only the school nurse has permission to administer a prescription during school, as students cannot carry them, according to Berry.

Fentanyl can be deadly. Berry said from now on, questionable substances found will only be handled by administrators if necessary, and gloves will be worn.  Otherwise, it will be reported and police will be called.

“Because if it’s laced with fentanyl, all you got to do is touch that pill and you’ll have (an) almost immediate overdose because of the skin uptake. So what we have cautioned, and what Sgt. delPercio cautioned us to do, is if we come across an unknown substance – a pill, a powder, whatever – is to use extreme caution when dealing with that stuff.,” Berry said.

This is the first times athletic trainers have taken part in a fentanyl informational course.  Berry said he thinks other teachers and staffs would benefit from it as well.

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Horry County high school athletic trainers hoping for more help

Keeter Hayes spends his nights cleaning up bloody noses, scheduling physical therapy appointments and making sure high school athletes are safe on the playing fields.

Some nights, North Myrtle Beach High School’s athletic trainer has to keep his eyes on 250 kids all at the same time. Some Horry County Schools staff are trying to change that.

$493,652Budgeted cost of six new athletic trainers

Members of the staff and the Board of Education are attempting to make practice and games safer for student athletes by adding another athletic trainer to six of the largest high schools. Currently there’s only one athletic trainer per AAA and AAAA high schools, so many students are not supervised properly during athletic practices and games.

“We really need this to happen,” Hayes said. “We need to be able to take care of the these kids, and we need to be able to go home sometimes.”

Hayes said he frequently works 10- to 16-hour days and, if he has to travel with a team, he doesn’t get home until midnight or later. He’s spent the last 19 years at North Myrtle Beach High teaching sports management in the morning and supervising athletes’ warmups, practices and games most nights.

A little help would go a long way, Hayes said.

“You can’t just do it and have any life at all,” he said.

Janice Morreale, Board of Education member, initiated a change to that situation earlier this month. She motioned to add another athletic trainer to six of the district’s largest high schools while keeping the assistant trainer position as well.

THE SIX SCHOOLS WHO MAY GET MORE TRAINERS ARE: CONWAY HIGH; CAROLINA FOREST HIGH; MYRTLE BEACH HIGH; SOCASTEE HIGH; ST. JAMES HIGH; AND NORTH MYRTLE BEACH HIGH.

Six high schools have one athletic trainer and a stipend for an assistant trainer. The assistant at most schools is a teacher who gets paid a stipend for assisting with athletics.

That leaves one person to monitor students, stretch out athletes, treat injuries and schedule doctor visits for hundreds of students. The state also changed open season rules so student-athletes can practice with a team earlier and more frequently, which means trainers sometimes have to monitor hundreds of students at the same time.

Some students recognized the value of an on-hand trainer, especially when they were injured. Tracer Stewart, an eight-grader, was playing soccer when the ball smacked him between the eyes and his nose started to bleed. After the game he headed over to “Coach Hayes,” who made sure Stewart didn’t break any bones.

“It’s safer to be treated here quickly rather than having to drive somewhere,” Stewart said.

Students do not pay for any athletic trainer treatments.

If approved, the district will set aside $493,652 for all six positions, but that’s just if every trainer has a Master’s degree and serves as a full-time trainer, John Gardner, chief financial officer, said.

I TAKE CARE OF THESE KIDS FOR FREE INSTEAD OF THEM GOING TO THE HOSPITAL FOR A $80,000 BILL. WE SAVE THEM MONEY, AND THE VALUE IS IN HOW WE TAKE OF OUR PEOPLE.

Keeter Hayes, North Myrtle Beach High athletic trainer

Horry County Schools routinely budgets half a million dollars for certain school improvements and building projects. In 2014, the board approved $500,000 to renovate and light Conway High’s track and another $500,000 for new “traffic loops” around St. James High, Daisy Elementary and Seaside Elementary. The district has also asked for a recurring $525,000 per year as “signing” bonuses for critical needs teachers, though the 2016-17 budget will not be finalized until June.

The cost is worth it, for Hayes.

“Are you going to put a value on a kid’s health? Are you going to put a value on a kid’s life?” Hayes said.

The motion allows for schools to hire either a second full-time trainer or give a financial supplement to a teacher who would also serve as a second trainer. The principals at each school would decide which option fit his or her needs best, officials said.

If an assistant trainer is promoted to a full trainer, the schools must replace the assistant position with another trainer/teacher.

The six schools that may get more trainers are: Conway High; Carolina Forest High; Myrtle Beach High; Socastee High; St. James High; and North Myrtle Beach High. The board of education will discuss the motion during a meeting in May.

Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/education/article73686897.html#storylink=cpy
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South Carolina School District Moves to Add Athletic Trainers

Six area high schools may gain a second athletic trainer next year, which means Horry County Schools must budget nearly $500,000 for the positions.

Currently there’s only one athletic trainer per 3A and 4A high schools, so many students are not supervised properly during athletic practices and games. Janice Morreale, Board of Education member, wants to change that situation.

“For the safety of our students, we need more than one trainer out there,” Morreale said.

Six high schools have one athletic trainer and a stipend for an assistant trainer. The assistant at most schools is a teacher who gets paid a stipend for assisting with athletics.

That leaves one person to monitor students, stretch out athletes, treat injuries and schedule doctor visits for hundreds of students. The state also changed open season rules so student-athletes can practice with a team earlier and more frequently.

“In Spring, you’ve got lacrosse, tennis, baseball, track and so many things going on in one night,” Morreale said. “For one person, it’s extremely difficult.”

Morreale’s motion to add one more athletic trainer position to six of the district’s largest schools passed the human resource committee and moves to the full board of education for approval. She wants the new staff in place by next school year.

THESE TRAINERS WORK. THEY HAVE TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR PRACTICE, HELP WITH INJURIES, PERFORM PHYSICAL THERAPY.

Daryl Brown, chief support services officer

Pam Timms, board member, said the safety of student athletes is critical.

“Our No. 1 priority is our children,” said board member Pam Timms. “Sometimes there are hundreds of children on the field and they need more supervision than we’ve been able to supply.”

Since next year’s budget is “still a moving target,” John Gardner, chief financial officer, said it’s best to plan for the biggest expense. If approved, the district will set aside $493,652 for all six spots, but that’s just if every trainer has a Master’s degree and serves as a full-time trainer, Gardner said.

FOR THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS, I DON’T CARE WHERE THE FUNDING COMES FROM. THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS IS SO IMPORTANT.

Janice Morreale, board of education member

The motion allows for schools to hire either a second full-time trainer or give a financial supplement to a teacher who would also serve as a second trainer. The principals at each school would decide which option fit his or her needs best, officials said.

If an assistant trainer is promoted to a full trainer, the schools must replace the assistant position with another trainer/teacher. Rick Maxey, superintendent, said the current athletic trainers are a “tightly knit group” and wouldn’t have much trouble finding qualified applicants.

“I’m sure they’d know how to fill the need, given the opportunity,” Maxey said.

The six schools who may get more trainers are: Conway High; Carolina Forest High; Myrtle Beach High; Socastee High; St. James High; and North Myrtle Beach High. The board of education will discuss the motion at their next meeting in April.

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