By: Suzie Glassman/NewsBreak Denver
(Castle Rock, CO) Kelli Mueller, a nurse consultant for Ranch View Middle School and the Highlands Ranch Bridge Program, is a finalist for the Colorado Association of School Nurses school nurse of the year award.
“I’m very touched by this recognition,” Kelli said in a press release. “Nurses serve a critical role in schools in promoting good health as healthy children learn better.”
Mueller, a registered nurse, joined the district in 1999 and is its longest-serving nurse consultant.
According to the DougCo schools website, Mueller helped coordinate the district’s School Medicaid Reimbursement program. As its coordinator, Mueller “tripled the medicare reimbursement funds and supported 11 school nursing positions and multiple health-related programs.”
For her work with the Medicaid program, she received a recognition award from the Consortium, a Medicaid community agency, for “making a difference” due to her focus on providing needed health services for DCSD students and families with Medicaid reimbursement funds.
The district website also credits Mueller for co-leading the Douglas County Vaping Prevention Task Force in 2021, where she received an award for promoting health and wellness for DougCo youth through classroom lessons and hosting parent, staff and community vaping education events.
Among her other accomplishments, “Mueller developed a new health room check-in tool to collect data on health room visits and encouraged students to respond to the question: What do you feel you need today?
“The format allowed students to communicate privately with the nurse and the health room staff. After instituting the electronic check-in, referrals from the health room to the counseling staff tripled in the first year.”
The annual award honors one school nurse who demonstrates excellence in school nursing practice and leadership in school health. Another nurse, principal, director or parent can submit a nomination.
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