JOSHUA, TX, May 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goodside Health is thrilled to announce Tasha Beaird, BSN, RN, District Nursing Coordinator at Joshua Independent School District, as the recipient of the 2023/24 School Health Advocate of the Year award. This award recognizes Tasha's dedication and impactful contributions to her students and community at Joshua ISD.

When asked about what it means to receive the award, Tasha shared, “I’m appreciative of the award, but I feel like it’s the nurses that do all the work while I support them. I feel like I’m just the cheerleader in the background.” This modesty emphasizes her genuine appreciation for her team and her role in fostering a supportive environment for school nurses.

Tasha expressed deep appreciation for her district’s relationship with Goodside Health, stating, “I feel like Goodside Health is my best friend. They support me in my personal life when I got engaged, married, and bought a house—all the big moments in my life. Professionally, I have relationships with providers that I trust. It’s an invaluable relationship; I can’t imagine another place where a relationship like that exists.”

In the fall of 2023, Goodside Health launched its HealthyStudent Days program, bringing annual wellness child visits to schools, overcoming the barriers families face when trying to connect their child to preventative healthcare. When it was presented to Joshua ISD, Tasha was quick to incorporate this program for her students.

Tasha’s commitment to bringing preventative well care into schools is driven by her desire to provide opportunities for students who might not otherwise receive them. “Some guardians just don’t have the opportunity to take their kids or take off work and schedule those appointments. It’s just so easy and convenient to provide that here—they’re already here anyway. Mom and dad don’t have to take off work. It checks all the boxes; it just makes sense,” Tasha said.

Reflecting on the impact of SchoolMed, Tasha noted the significant improvements in their health room operations. “My job here is to make things better for students, parents, and staff and when Goodside Health was presented to us, I felt like this was giving nurses a tool instead of having to say, ‘Go to the doctor,’ to receive care,” she said.

Tasha sees a direct connection between student health and academic success, even in her own children. She shared, “When my kid is sick with strep, they can be treated in the morning, get those 24 hours of antibiotics, and be back the next day. I see the growth they’re able to have because instead of missing close to a week, they only miss one day. And when I see his test scores at the end of the year and how well he’s done, he wouldn’t have been able to do all that had he missed all of that school.”

For the 2023-2024 school year, Joshua ISD saved over 21,000 academic hours due to its partnership with Goodside Health, thus saving the district more than $150,000 in average daily attendance.

SchoolMed has had a profound impact on the Joshua ISD community. “Parents aren’t missing work, so they’re able to provide for their families. Students aren’t missing class, so they aren’t missing out on their education. You can see the impact in the community,” Tasha shared.

Goodside Health congratulates Tasha Beaird on this well-deserved recognition and applauds her dedication to improving student health and academic success at Joshua ISD.

About Goodside Health:
Goodside Health is advancing the delivery of pediatric care by partnering with communities to provide access to telehealth, mental health, and well-care services at school, at home, and in the clinic. Relentless advocates for expanding access to care and promoting health equity, Goodside Health leverages a Whole-Child Approach to care and lives our mission of closing gaps in children’s healthcare through innovation and execution. To learn more about Goodside Health, please visit www.goodsidehealth.com.

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• Goodside Health 2023/24 School Health Advocate of the Year