School Nurse Program

The Memorial Health School Nurse Program collaborates with area school systems in Central Illinois to provide essential health services for students and staff.

Testimonials about collaborating Memorial Health

Statements from School Administration

“Our experience with Memorial staff for our School Nurse Program has been phenomenal. Their nurses are friendly, knowledgeable, and are great with our staff and students. We are grateful for our partnership with Memorial for our student healthcare needs.“ 
-Niki Fenderson, Principal Robertson Charter School, Decatur

“Memorial's School Nursing Program has been great to work with and they have been very knowledgeable and helpful through some very difficult times. The nurses are very attentive to students and staff needs and make sure all guidelines and requirements are met in a timely manner.” 

-Brice Stewart, Principal Maroa-Forsyth High School

“Our school district’s relationship with Memorial Medical Group continues to provide quality student health services that are vital for navigating through the school year. Our assigned nurses address the daily needs of students while maintaining the variety of individual records for immunizations, physicals, dietary needs, special medical circumstances and injury care. Meridian is grateful for the collaborative relationship we have with Memorial Medical Group!”
-Andy Pygott, Superintendent, Meridian CUSD #15

"We have loved our partnership with Memorial! The nurses are always very professional, and they work very hard to collaborate with our staff/families. We have grown to love our nurses and are very thankful for them!"
-Nicholas Blackburn, Principal, St. Patrick School

“The Maroa-Forsyth School District has been contracting with Memorial Health for several years. The quality of service we have received has been exceptional. The leadership of the employees we have had in our district as well as the Memorial Health resources has allowed us to stay current on all regulations during COVID while still focusing on keeping students safe and in school as much as possible.“
-Dr. Kristopher Kahler, Superintendent, Maroa-Forsyth CUSD #2

"Memorial Health has provided Mt. Pulaski School with the best nurse/school health care option I have experienced in my 30 years in education. Our nurse has been fantastic as we are reliant on her to work through our health care needs. She saved our administrators and teachers hours and hours of work throughout the pandemic while providing the needed care for our students and staff. Our district missed only a handful of days during the pandemic and our nurse provided by Memorial Health was a major factor in our success. I have found it very easy to work with their administration and they have gone out of their way to help us search for solutions for our individual needs. I highly recommend their services!"

-Fred Lamkey, Superintendent, Mt. Pulaski schools

“Memorial Health has helped Our Lady of Lourdes School have a very successful year. The pandemic brought an additional layer of issues to work through along with important communication with families, students and staff. It was wonderful having the guidance of health experts to guide the discussions. This could not have been done without the excellent administration from Memorial Health who offered to come and help us during a transition from one nurse leaving and a new nurse assigned to the school. The expertise in completing state required medical information has been monitored throughout the school year, parent notification of required deadline for completion was done in a timely manner.

The professionalism and work ethic of the Memorial Health team allowed the school office staff to focus on school related issues; thank you, Memorial Health for a wonderful year and a job well done!”

-Theresa Bowser, Principal, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School

Statements from School Nurses

“Working as a school nurse in the school district while also being a part of the Memorial team has been such an amazing experience. I get to do a job that I love, and reap the benefits that come with an amazing team of coworkers beside me. Having this group to share ideas, goals, education, and support plays a vital role in having a successful school year. We lean on each other in more ways than one, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Not all school nurses are as lucky to have a rockstar team like ours!”
-Raeshel Duncan, School Nurse, Meridian Grade School


"Working as a school nurse for Memorial Health System has provided me with the best of both worlds. When it comes to working in the school, I get to spend my day taking care of kids and enjoying the hours that allow me to still have a good work/life balance. As far as working for Memorial Health, this provides me with the ability to keep my medical, dental, and other benefits for myself and my family at a very reasonable cost, as well as being able to contribute towards my retirement fund. Working for Memorial also allows me the privilege of working under exceptional leadership and with a magnificent network of fellow school nurse colleagues!"

-Nikia Enlow, School Nurse, Meridian Middle and High School

“Being a colleague of Memorial Health while contracted with MF school is a unique opportunity to promote wellness while caring for the health of students in a school setting. The collaboration between Memorial Health and Maroa-Forsyth allows for optimal use of networking and healthcare resources to identify diverse needs, social determinants, and prevention strategies to help improve the health outcomes for each student. I continue to see many rewarding benefits within this partnership which makes me proud to be part of this vital role.”

-Kami Kingery, School Nurse, Maroa-Forsyth Middle and High School


“I am a school nurse who is contracted through Memorial. I love my job and working for Memorial. I feel I am part of a family and Memorial and my Supervisor appreciate me. I feel like if I have questions, there is always someone I can call to get answers or help me find the answers. We have a great group of school nurses in our program.”
-Stacy Hickey, School Nurse, Mt. Pulaski Grade, Middle, and High School


“This is my first year as a school nurse. The collaboration between Memorial and the school district has been very beneficial, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic with the ever-changing expectations and rules. I was able to reach out to other district nurses and schools to communicate and better meet the needs of our students, staff, and school.”

-Megan Shackelford, School Nurse, Cerro Gordo Grade, Middle, and High School

How do schools benefit from Memorial Health nursing services:

  • Continual school nurse coverage is available even when regularly scheduled nurse is absent
  • Benefits package for school nurse provided by Memorial Health
  • Access to educational materials approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Memorial Health
  • Minimizes nursing responsibilities for non-nursing personnel
  • Vision and hearing screenings required by IDPH can be administered
  • Sufficient coverage to assist nurses with IDPH requirements at no additional cost
  • Training and education provided for school nurse consistent with nursing standards for Memorial Health-employed nurses
  • Access to knowledgeable healthcare professionals at Memorial Health
  • Shared liability with Memorial Health for decisions made by school nurse
  • School nurse given the latest tools, knowledge and healthcare policies (example: COVID 19 pandemic, cold/flu season, etc.)

How school nurses benefit:

  • All benefits, including paid time off, supplied through Memorial Health
  • Ongoing training provided by Memorial Health
  • Tuition assistance available for those wishing to obtain further education
  • Program led by a doctoral-prepared family nurse practitioner with more than 30 years of nursing experience
  • Monthly departmental meetings to discuss current trends and issues and provide support

Contact Information