Community Collaboration in Caring for Students with Diabetes: A Case Study

In 2012, the state of Georgia passed state law O.C.G.A. § 20-2-779, requiring school districts to observe specific guidelines for safe management of students with diabetes. Similar statutes are being enacted nationally as the incidence of diabetes among school-age children increases, and as school systems are challenged to provide services mandated under the auspices of federal laws in an increasingly austere economic environment.

This case study highlights the collaborative efforts of three institutions in a small community in Georgia to implement one component of the new law.  Individuals in the school system, the school nurse program, the local university, and the regional medical center have pooled resources in order to meet the specific requirements of Section 4 of the statute: Training of School Employees in the Care Needed for Students with Diabetes.

This is a significant issue: In the past two years, seven states have passed legislation similar to Georgia’s.  The high political stakes of this type of legislation is evident in the controversy that has accompanied its passage. Various stakeholder points of view are considered: state legislators, parents and students, school administrators, local school nurses, national and state nurses’ associations, and advocacy organizations.

This presentation outlines a reasonable and cost-effective strategy for other school systems that may be seeking ways to implement similar statutes. It also provides a model for collaborative practice that highlights the potential for community partnerships among academia, health care, and school systems; while acknowledging the challenges involved with implementing the statute.