Health department hopes to add three nurses for school work

The Bartholomew County Health Department is seeking a grant to help the agency assess the health needs of local schools.

Amanda Organist, with the public nursing division, asked the County Council to approve the grant application at the council’s meeting this week. She said that the state is offering funds to hire more nursing staff to liasion with the county’s schools to make sure that they are reporting and categorizing COVID cases correctly, as well as to help with COVID vaccination clinics and testing. She said the vaccination and testing program is still very busy every day.

Organist said she is already in near daily contact with the schools in the county.

The size of the grant is determined by the size of the county, and Bartholomew County would be asking for $330 thousand dollars to hire three contracted nurses for two years to assist with the work. While the grant would cover IT equipment, the positions would receive no benefits.

Organist said she has a strong lead already on one nurse, and is looking for applicants for two more.

Council approved the grant application.