Health Office Space

The school health  office serves multiple functions, providing triage, assessment, and intervention for students with acute and chronic conditions, complex medical treatments, illnesses, injuries, and health promotion and prevention activities; therefore, the set up and space should allow for the diverse functionality of the health office.

Considerations for Designing and Managing School Health Office Space

• Accessibility: The health office should be easily accessible to students, staff, and visitors, ideally located in a central and visible area of the school to facilitate quick and convenient access in case of emergencies and for parents dropping off supplies and picking up students. Ensure that the health office is accessible to individuals with disabilities, including wheelchair users, by providing wide doorways and accessible bathroom facilities.
• Privacy: Ensure the health office provides a private and confidential environment for assessments, consultations, and conversations. Privacy measures may include curtains or dividers for providing assessments and treatments and secure storage of confidential health records.
• Adequate Space: Design the health office with sufficient space to accommodate essential equipment, supplies, and furniture, including cots, seating for waiting areas, storage cabinets for medical supplies, and a designated area for documentation and administrative tasks. Additional space considerations:
  • Secure medication storage – Medication needs to be stored in a locked storage location and ideally have a double lock if controlled substances are being stored.
  • Refrigerator with freezer – Having a refrigerator and freezer in the health office is necessary for storing certain medications and medical supplies that require temperature control. Additionally, having a freezer provides ice to make disposable icepacks.
  • Adequate space for vision screening and hearing screening – A space with optimal lighting conditions and at least 10 feet is needed to conduct a vision screening. Hearing screening requires a quiet environment. If the health office does not provide this quiet environment, is there another designated space, such as a conference room, that can be used for hearing screenings?
• Safety and Security: The health office desk and seating should face the door to provide staff the visual cue for incoming visitors. The physical layout of the room and cots should allow for visual supervision of all areas of the health room, while still providing privacy for students.
• Infection Control: Incorporate measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases within the health office, including proper ventilation including portable HEPA air filters, space to allow for separation of well and ill students, bathroom for students who utilize the health office, a “clean” sink for handwashing and other handwashing stations (i.e., hand sanitizer), and non-carpet flooring.
• Comfort and Well-being: Create a comfortable and welcoming environment within the health office to help alleviate anxiety and promote relaxation during a health office visit. This may include comfortable seating, calming décor, and soothing lighting. The health office is also a space for universal health promotion and may include health promotion/education bulletin boards or other materials.
• Technology Integration: Equip the health office with essential technology tools to support healthcare delivery and documentation, such as computers for electronic health records (EHR), communication systems (e.g., telephone and walkie-talkie), and telehealth capabilities for remote consultations.
• Conference Space: Design the health office to facilitate collaboration and communication among healthcare providers, school staff, students, and parents/guardians in privacy.

By addressing these important considerations, school administrators can create a safe, efficient, and supportive health office space that meets the needs of students, staff, and school health staff.