Bob Jones Academy has partnered with Base Camp Health to use the Ascend health screening portal. Ascend allows BJA to screen all students coming onto campus in order to help provide a safe and healthy campus environment and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks from spreading though our families.
Before arriving at school, parents or high school students log in via an internet browser to answer a few questions and receive a recommended course of action based on CDC guidelines and BJA policy. At school the parent or high school student will show proof of green screen (an all-clear) to allow the student to begin the school day.
How does Ascend work?
Ascend enables BJA to screen all K3–12 students for symptoms before they come to school and advise families on courses of action in light those symptoms. The safety and well-being of your children are paramount to a successful school year, and Ascend allows BJA, to the best of our ability, to prevent an outbreak from reaching your child.
Who at BJA can see my family’s information?
Designated administrative personnel will be able to see student statuses only: green, red, or gray (not yet entered that day). They cannot see the reason a student has a red status.
Select BJA heath representatives, such as BJA’s nurse, will have access to the specific reasons for a red status for the purpose of coordinating care and support as appropriate.
Does Ascend share my data with any outside companies or the government?
No. In accordance with the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Ascend will not share data.
HIPAA and FERPA require that healthcare data be protected with stringent privacy procedures, and our partnership with Ascend will be 100% compliant with appropriate privacy regulations.
Does Ascend have contact tracing?
No. Ascend’s web portal gathers students’ daily health symptoms as entered by parents or high school students. This allows school administration to determine if your child was around a student who tested positive. Ascend has no ability to track or monitor location.
A video on Ascend’s website demonstrates a feature in which families can input the contact info of people they have been around so that the local government could contact those people. This feature is no longer part of the Ascend system.
Does Ascend have access to my personal health data?
No. Ascend makes use of student health data in its assessment of their risk of COVID-19 infection. However, that data is visible only to the user and BJA health representatives.
What are the daily questions Ascend will ask?
Q1 Please enter date of birth
This question is asked to help monitor the different age groups within our population.
Q2 Please enter the zip code of current location
This question is asked to help administration be aware of changes in different regions and how they might be affected by COVID-19.
Q3 Please indicate any new symptoms that you are experiencing that are not associated with any underlying medical condition or medication use (select all that apply):
- Shortness of Breath
- Loss of smell or taste
- Fever 100 degrees F or above
- Chills; Muscle pain
- Vomiting
- More than 3 loose stools in 24 hours
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Loss of appetite
This question is the key question as it enables the system to interpret a combination of symptoms with any high risk conditions and advise the individual to seek medical treatment if the potential is high enough.
Q4 Please enter the estimated date of any direct exposure to a confirmed case of COVID-19. Exposure is defined as being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time (at least 15 minutes) without the use of a mask. Select Not Applicable if you have not been exposed to your knowledge.
This question helps to protect the greater population from possible infection by screening out possible infections.
Q5 Have you recently been tested for COVID-19? If yes, please indicate the date of testing and status of results. If no, select Not Applicable.
Q6 Has the individual received a test for COVID-19 since the test received on <DATE>?
Q7 Please indicate the date the test was received:
Q8 What was the result from the COVID-19 test received on <DATE>?
Questions 6 through 8 are used to determine when it is safe for a student to continue with in-person classes.
How does Ascend know how to advise to families?
When you create your student’s profile, you select any conditions that the CDC defines as high-risk conditions.
In coordination with your daily answers and any underlying conditions, Ascend will either give you a green screen or a red screen with a course of action.