Health Services

The Wheeler School Health Services Department provides daily care for students during the school day. The Health Services staff includes two pediatric nurse specialists, a child and adolescent counselor, a health educator,  and an athletic trainer. Drawing on our staff’s connections to an extraordinary array of health agencies, resources, and practitioners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts,  our staff collaborates with parents and works closely with teachers to provide physical and behavioral health care in a vibrant community setting.

Hours and locations

The Providence Campus Health Center, located in the Madden Gym, is open and staffed by nurses from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.  The school counselor has an office attached to the center and is on campus during the school day. The full-time Wheeler athletic trainer has a Providence office located in the Madden Gym and a Wheeler Farm office located in the Van Norman Field House. The athletic trainer is on the Providence campus from in the mornings, then at the Field House for after-school sports.  The Health Center includes the nursing office space and a comfortable resting area for students.

Wheeler has a “First Team” ranking and a “Safe Sports School” award from the National Athletic Trainers Association symbolizing our school’s commitment to providing the best level of care, injury prevention, and treatment. See our Athletics page to learn more about this important effort.

Student Health Records are managed and easily updated by parents and guardians when logging in through our Magnus Health system.  Please contact Kathy McKenna, School Nurse, for assistance.

Health education and awareness

The Wheeler School offers an annual Wheeler Community Flu Vaccine Clinic in collaboration with the RI Department of Health and the Wellness Company. Our Health Services staff works closely with our teachers,  physical education teachers, coaches, food services, parents, and community resources to promote the development of lifelong healthy habits. Our health educator oversees a health curriculum that introduces students to health and wellness strategies, diseases and disease prevention, and health resources.  Check out the helpful links below for more information.

Interested in resources for social-emotional learning?  Click here.

General illness guidance and protocols

Staying home when sick helps your child recover from illness and helps others in our school community stay well. Our general illness guidance and protocols will help you make decisions about when your child should stay home.

Steps to stay healthy during flu season

Healthy habits can help prevent flu and other common viral illness we see at this time of year.
There are steps you can take in an effort to decrease the spread of germs.

Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
More links to CDC resources on prevention and treatment are here and for traveler’s health are here 

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
  • Stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others. Return to school when fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines. For gastrointestinal illness, stay home for 24 hours after an episode of vomiting.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with the bent of your arm or a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu and other serious respiratory illnesses, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)are spread by coughing, sneezing, or unclean hands.
  • Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill.
  • Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Meet the Health Services Team

Health Center FAX: 401-277-0890

Judy Diaz
School Nurse
(401) 528-2192
judydiaz@wheelerschool.org

Lixiu Lin
Health Educator & School Nurse
Health Center
lixiulin@wheelergmail.org

Kathryn McKenna
School Nurse
(401) 528-2192
kathymckenna@wheelerschool.org

Peggy O’Neil
Director of Counseling and Student Health Services
(401) 528-2122
peggyoneil@wheelerschool.org

Nathan Withington
Athletic Trainer, MS, ATC, CSCS
(401) 528-2239
natewithington@wheelerschool.org