Wellness Center Statements
Confidentiality and Your Privacy
Medical confidentiality is assured for all care and services at the Student Wellness Center except where the safety of the students or others is at risk or as required by law, such as mandated reporting of certain infectious diseases and abuse.
All patient information is held in strict confidence according to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines. No detailed information will be transmitted to others without the student's written consent or direction, except as noted above. A confidential medical record is established and maintained for every patient. Records will be released only with a student's signed consent.
Patients' Rights and Responsibilities
Patients have the right to:
- Be educated regarding course of treatment, and to know risks, side effects or complementary care treatments.
- Be treated with consideration, respect and dignity that does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, disability, handicap, national origin, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, gender or veteran status.
- Bring any dissatisfaction to the attention of the college nurse.
- Have consideration shown to the psychosocial, spiritual and cultural variables that influence their perception of illness and care.
- Information regarding fees for services, the nature of the charges and the methods of payment.
- Privacy and confidentially with regard to treatment and medical records.
- Receive copies or review their medical records with a health care provider. Original medical records remain the property of Student Wellness Center.
- Refuse treatment any medical care or treatment.
Patients have the responsibility to:
- Arrive as scheduled for appointments, and to cancel in advance of appointments they cannot keep.
- Ask for clarification whenever information or instructions are not understood.
- Communicate concerns openly and actively participate in their own care.
- Give details of illness or complaint in a direct and straightforward manner.
- Provide accurate and complete information about current and past illness, medications and other matters pertaining to their health.
- Provide both positive and negative feedback to the health provider responsible for care.
- Treat Student Wellness Center personnel in a respectful manner.
The Student Wellness Center utilizes a no-note policy. We do not issue medical excuse notes for academic deficiencies.
In the event of illness or injury that is expected to result in significant academic disruption, the student is advised to contact his or her professor(s) as soon as possible to notify them of the anticipated delinquency. Whether the disruption is a missed test, late assignment or absence from class, early notification of the professor is very important.
Why We Do This
An ill student is the only one that is able to determine if they are too ill to fulfill expected academic responsibility. The student must honestly decide whether or not they can do their work and take responsibility for this.
Furthermore, the academic relationship between student and professor must remain in the classroom. The health care professionals at the wellness center are not able to function as independent — and omniscient — arbitrators regarding whether a student feels too ill to do their work.
An additional consideration is appropriate utilization of limited healthcare resources. A student should not be required to seek medical care solely for the purpose of obtaining a sick note. We recognize that there are extenuating and unusual circumstances that may occur and those will be handled on a case by case basis.