HEALTH CENTER | AIR QUALITY | HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS |
HEALTH CENTER SUPPLIES | HEALTH DIRECTOR | FOOD ALLERGIES |
PUBLIC HEALTH WEBINAR | EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES |
HEALTH CENTER | AIR QUALITY | HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS |
HEALTH CENTER SUPPLIES | HEALTH DIRECTOR | FOOD ALLERGIES |
PUBLIC HEALTH WEBINAR | EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES |
HEALTH CENTER | |
Each youth camp operating within the State of New Jersey are required to staff a health director and designate a health center. The health director must always remain onsite. This ensures that each youth camp will have immediate access to capable personnel to provide health guidance, bandage scrapes and bruises and alert EMS when and if a serious injury or illness occurs within the youth camp setting. More details about the requirements for the health center and health director can be found under 8:25-5 Health. |
AIR QUALITY |
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WHY AIR QUALITY MATTERS: Summer is a great time to enjoy many fun outdoor activities. But high levels of air pollution and physical activity are a bad mix. Elevated levels of ozone or fine particles in the air can be harmful to health. Days with high levels of air pollution can trigger asthma attacks and worsen asthma symptoms in children. During 2021, more than 8,500 NJ children under age 18 went to NJ Emergency Departments seeking treatment for asthma. Asthma is common in NJ children and affects an estimated 8% of NJ children under 18.* *(from CDC National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network)
IT'S EASY TO STAY INFORMED! The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is encouraging youth camps to participate in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) NJ Air Quality Flag Program. Camps can sign up to get daily local air quality updates and display free, color-coded flags to alert the camp when air quality poses a potential health risk for vulnerable populations. Camps can modify activities as needed based on local air quality.† To learn more, visit the NJDEP NJ Air Quality Flag Program †Vulnerable populations, such as children with asthma, should always follow their clinician’s recommendations regarding time spent outdoors on days with poor air quality.
Some helpful information about NJ Air Quality:
LEARN MORE ABOUT AIR QUALITY AND HEALTH: Visit NJDOH’s Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website to learn more about ozone, particulate matter, and health. Visit NJ State Health Assessment Data website for additional health information on asthma and other respiratory diseases.
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HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS |
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Children, especially those who are physically active, are among those individuals at higher-than-average risk for HRI. Between 2017 and 2021, a total of 848 children under the age of 15years old were treated at New Jersey Emergency Departments for heat-related illness. High heat days can also cause poor air quality, which can trigger asthma attacks or worsen asthma symptoms. PREVENTING HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS AT CAMP
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Heat Hub: Search for places to visit in order to seek relief from the heat [NJDEP] Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety [CDC.gov] Extreme Heat: Tips for Preventing Heat-Related Illness [CDC.gov] NJDOH information for healthcare providers regarding HRI prevention [PDF] Resources in other languages on preventing HRI [ready.gov]
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HEALTH CENTER SUPPLIES |
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The health center should be stocked with appropriate supplies to care for an ill or injured staff or camper. The Health Center Supplies lists the minimum supplies required within the center. First aid supplies shall be available at all times and fully restocked within 48 hours of use. The health director shall ensure that a first aid kit is available for out-of-camp trips and stocked with the items deemed appropriate and necessary for the activities of that trip. Youth camps are also required to post emergency numbers, document illness for traceability and report accidents and illness at the end of each season using the Annual Accident Report form. |
HEALTH DIRECTOR | |||
The health director is the primary administrator knowledgeable about various health concerns within the youth camp community.
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FOOD ALLERGIES |
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Approximately 32 million people in the United States have food allergies, including 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 13 children, that is roughly two in every classroom. Food allergy reactions are serious and can be life-threatening. Every three minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room. In New Jersey, at the time of admission to the camp, a parent or a legal guardian of a camper is required to submit a written health history for the camper including physical conditions, mental conditions and allergies. Staff members are also required to submit their health history record. Health Director is required to maintain health histories on file as well as maintain on site written parental consent for emergency treatment. A written documented arrangement must be made with a local Emergency Medical Service (EMS) or an ambulance squad for transport to the nearest hospital. Health Director who is trained in professional-level CPR, must be on duty at all times. More Info: NJ Guidelines for the Management of Life-Threatening Food Allergies in Schools
Epinephrine Auto-Injectors New Jersey regulations require camps to establish written medical policies and procedures on treatment of illness and injury and administration of both prescription and non-prescription medications. CDC recommends that a plan is developed for responding to food allergy emergencies, including the administration of epinephrine. It is advisable to train staff to improve their understanding of food allergies and their ability to respond to food allergy emergencies (including administration of epinephrine). 2016 NJ Youth Camp Epinephrine Access and Emergency Treatment Act details that a camp may develop a policy for the emergency administration of epinephrine via a pre-filled auto-injector mechanism to a member of the youth camp community. The law allows for youth camp to carry, in a secure but easily accessible location, a supply of pre-filled epinephrine auto-injectors that is 13 prescribed under a standing protocol from a licensed physician or other authorized prescriber. Youth camp must provide standardized training for emergency epinephrine administration. Read full text of the Epinephrine Administration Act here.
Code Ana's Epinephrine Training Program Video
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PUBLIC HEALTH WEBINAR |
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BACK TO BASICS: INFECTIOUS DISEASE 101 for School Nurses Date: Thursday, May 11, 2023; 2:30pm-3:30pm Speakers: Victoria SImpson, MSOH, MPH, GSP and Tasnim Salan, MBE, MPH Join the NJDOH Communicable Disease Service’s DSH team as they discuss infectious disease management in schools. This training will focus on the basic concepts of infectious disease investigation, including examples of control measures that could be implemented to mitigate the spread of infectious disease. Register: http://go.rutgers.edu/schoolnurse NJ Public Health CE and CHES/ MCHES Credits |
OTHER HEALTH TOPICS AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES |
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