Vass is a 2004 graduate of Alleghany High School. Her appointment was unanimously approved by the Alleghany Highlands Public Schools Division Board during its regular meeting on Aug. 19.
She has served as a school nurse in Alleghany Highlands Public Schools and the historic Alleghany County Public Schools since October 2017. Her work has been based at Mountain View Elementary School.
Vass will coordinate AHPS’ School Nurse Program and she succeeds Susan Griffith who is assuming a new role with LewisGale Hospital-Alleghany. Griffith served as school nurse manager for the past year. Her leadership helped the nursing program efficiently operate to meet student health needs in an important transition year for AHPS.
The nursing program is vital to keeping students healthy, safe, and ready to learn. School nurses are part of ever-developing strategies by AHPS to keep students in
school regularly.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 percent of school-aged children and teens have at least one chronic health condition that may lead them to miss school more often and affect academic performance. For these students, school nurses offer important help in managing their health conditions so they can attend school regularly.
School nurses also bring a wealth of benefits to the communities they serve. CDC data shows that for every $1 spent on school nursing, society saves $2.20. The savings come from preventing costly emergency room visits and parents missing time from work to care for sick children. School nurses are also becoming more involved in mental health and behavioral health, underscoring their usefulness in community schools, the National Association of School Nurses says.
“We have been very fortunate to have nurses like Griffith and Vass in key nursing leadership roles,” said Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson, leaders of AHPS.
The Alleghany Highlands Public Schools Division was created on July 1, 2022, when Alleghany County Public Schools, Covington City Public Schools, and Jackson River Technical Center merged.
School nurses have been a part of Alleghany County and Covington schools since 1996. The program was initially funded through grants from The Alleghany Foundation. Funding responsibility was gradually transitioned to the two school divisions. The program was maintained when the school divisions merged.
The ability to have a full-time school nurse manager position is a benefit of the consolidation. Vass will have responsibilities that primarily involve leadership and
management duties. She may also intermittently assist with direct student care.
“I am excited to continue to serve the students and parents in the Alleghany Highlands. There are few things that I have found as rewarding in life as working with children on a daily basis. I hope to continue to serve all of the students in the management role while working to make the nursing department more effective for students, staff, and the community,” Vass said.
Vass will continue in her current role as a school nurse at Mountain View Elementary School until a replacement school nurse is hired. She graduated from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College (now Mountain Gateway Community College) in 2012 with an associate degree in nursing. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Liberty University’s online program in 2016.
In the past school year, the AHPS school nursing team refined its efforts to support students. Accomplishments include enhanced case management, additional work to help educate students on the dangers of drug abuse, and upgrades to the Alleghany High School clinic.
“Our school nurses do administer medications and help care for students who become ill or injured, and they also provide important health education and other nursing services,” said Halterman and Snead-Johnson. “The job is complex and student-centered.”
Alleghany Highlands Public Schools serves approximately 2,700 students. The school division is jointly funded by Alleghany County and the City of Covington. School division news and events are regularly updated on Facebook at AHPublicSchools, and www.ahps.k12.va.us.