BY PAMELA MANNING, Ph.D.
Pamela Manning, McKendree’s Assistant Professor of Education, was invited to speak at the National Medical Association Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii on Aug. 3, 2014. In response to her book, My Child Would Never Do That!, which highlights her philosophy on several school experiences, the National Medical Association asked her to speak for the Grace James, M.D. Memorial Lecture. Dr. James was a pediatrician who believed in helping youth both medically and educationally.
Dr. Manning has 39 years of experience in education across the United States and abroad. She has been a teacher, speech pathologist, principal and superintendent. She spoke of her first medical emergency as a first year teacher. A high school student in Hurtsboro, Alabama had a seizure in mid-air on an outdoor basketball court as he was jumping to make a basket. He jerked while he was still in the air and came down head first on a concrete court. There was no nurse on site, and Dr. Manning had received no professional medical training. She wondered if her actions were correct as the ambulance carried him away. Fortunately, the student returned to school two weeks later. Dr. Throughout Manning’s career as a teacher, she has encountered many students with several different kinds of medical issues such as sickle cell anemia, tuberculosis, diabetes, HIV, mental and emotional issues, infections as well as urgencies which required the use of EpiPens and defibrillators.
She believes pediatricians and public school administrators can have a positive impact on today’s youth. Nurses and physicians should offer professional development on the university level to prepare new teachers for certain medical emergencies. Together, we can save our youth through education, medical training and support by closing gaps between the medical and educational fields while taking into consideration the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Collaboration can only make us that more powerful in making a difference!
Learning / Performance Objectives for Pediatricians:
- Identify medical needs in their service community
- Identify points of contact for Physicians
- Identify health gaps within the local community
- Identify activities and possible solutions for closing gaps from a provided list
My Child Would Never Do That!: A Guide For Student Success
Pam Manning, Ph.D.
ISBN
974-1-4602-1794-8 (Hardback)
974-1-4602-1792-4 (Paperback)
974-1-4602-1793-1 (e-book)
