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�������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Health Services

The �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Student Health and Wellness Center is dedicated to promoting and maintaining the health and general well-being of students through access to confidential health care services, sponsoring programs that promote healthy choices, ensuring access to urgent care referrals for students, if needed, and we are partnered with �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care, which offers free, 24/7 tele-health medical and mental health visits for all students. Located in the Hahn Annex, the Student Health and Wellness Center is staffed M-F from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by our Health Services Nurse and staff.

Students can email healthservices@tlu.edu or call 830-372-8067 for assistance or to speak with the nurse. Questions? Please email Laci Webber, LVN.

Online Medical & Mental Health Services for Students

We know the health and wellness of our student body impacts the strength of our university and the overall student experience. Because we place great emphasis on ensuring our students stay healthy in body and mind, we offer �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care, a free, 24/7 telehealth service for students.

�������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care provides around-the-clock access to quality medical and mental health counseling services. The medical providers and counselors are Texas board certified and specifically trained on student health. The providers fall in these various practice categories:

• Emergency medicine
• Family practice
• Internal medicine
• General practice
• Licensed professional counseling
• Licensed clinical social worker
• Licensed marriage and family therapist

Also available through the the university and �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care is an option to speak with a psychiatrist. The student must talk with the Office of Student Affairs about this option.

The Dean of Students office in the Alumni Student Center (across from the bookstore) also has prescription cards for �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care available for pick up at no cost. These are not insurance cards, but may lower prescription costs.

More Information

• �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care FAQs

  �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care is a convenient and cost-effective way for individuals to receive healthcare and counseling for common conditions that can be safely and accurately diagnosed and treated online. �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care allows you to access a doctor or counselor from your residence hall, home, or anywhere 24/7/365 via a short phone visit or secure video visit.

  What conditions can be treated by �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care?
  Licensed providers are trained to treat a wide range of conditions. The most common include: colds, sinus infections, Influenza, bladder infections, pink eye, and yeast infections. Other medical conditions treated by �������ϲ���ʷ������¼Care include: canker or cold sores, bladder infection (UTI), styes, swimmers ear, burns, lower back pain, insect bites, Pertussis, quitting tobacco, allergies/hay fever, exposure to sexually transmitted diseases, acne, athlete’s foot, Chickenpox, eczema or dermatitis, ingrown toenail, jock itch, ringworm, shingles, tinea, constipation and/or diarrhea (IBS), heartburn or acid reflux, malaria prevention, motion sickness prevention, and more.

  Mental health conditions: Stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, eating disorders, grief, and loss.

  Who makes the diagnosis?
  A licensed, board-certified �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care provider physician (MD), nurse practitioner (NP), or physician assistant (PA) will review and discuss your symptoms, make a diagnosis, and develop your treatment plan.

  Can I get a prescription?
  �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care providers are licensed and able to prescribe certain medications as part of your care plan, if clinically appropriate. Examples of medications prescribed by �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care providers include antibiotics, inhalers, eyedrops, and antihistamines, as well as other therapeutic medications. �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care providers can also refill short-term supplies of maintenance medications in the event of a patient’s transition to a new doctor or inability to get in touch with their primary care doctor due to limited hours or appointments.

  �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care does believe in safe prescribing of medications and the need for a patient to have a relationship with their primary care doctor. As such, �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care providers do not supply long-term medications for chronic illness and encourage patients to see their primary care doctor at least once a year. �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care providers do not provide prescriptions for controlled substances, lifestyle medications, hormone replacement therapies, or other potentially dangerous or addictive drugs.

  How do I get a prescription filled?
  �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care is not an online pharmacy, and they cannot fill prescriptions. If a prescription medication is part of your treatment plan, it will be sent to the pharmacy of your choice. You are responsible for the cost of any prescriptions, over-the-counter treatments, or follow-up visits you may need related to prescriptions. �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care counselors cannot write prescriptions.

  How does online counseling work?
  After logging in, you will be asked if you would like a medical visit or counseling visit. Select ‘talk with a counselor,’ answer a few simple questions and then one of the counselors will call you. Counselors are available 24 hours a day and the goal is to respond with you within the hour — many times much sooner. �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Care counselors can treat: men’s issues, women’s issues, stress and anxiety, addictions, depression, eating disorders, grief and loss, trauma and PTSD, panic disorders, and much more.

  Is there a limit on counseling appointments?
  Students may schedule up to six counseling appointments a semester. There is no limit on crisis counseling.
  

• Meningitis Vaccination Policy

  To comply with state law, �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ requires that all new students, including transfer and readmissions, be immunized against bacterial meningitis (MCV4). The vaccination must have been given during the 5 years preceding and at least 10 days before the first day of the first semester enrolled. Students 22 years of age and older are exempt from this law.

  Acceptable evidence of vaccination includes an official record from a state or local health authority, or school record, or physician’s office; including signature or stamp of practitioner and month/day/year of vaccination. Vaccination from a pharmacy (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) is acceptable, but documentation of the vaccination is required (not just a receipt). Students will upload and submit their proof of meningitis vaccination through their Student Health Form. Students may access the Student Health Form using the link on their Student Status Page.

  A student has the right to claim exemption if the student submits (1) an affidavit or certificate signed by a physician who is duly registered and licensed to practice medicine in the United States, in which it is stated that, in the physician's opinion, the vaccination would be injurious to the health of the student; or (2) an affidavit signed by the student stating that the student declines the vaccination for reasons of conscience, including religious belief. A conscientious exemption form from the must be used for on-campus students. This form must be notarized.
  

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that meningococcal disease strikes up to 3,000 Americans, killing 300 people a year. Up to 15 percent of those with the disease may suffer long-term permanent disabilities including hearing loss, limb amputations, and brain damage.
  

• Information For Parents

  Independence and Confidentiality Issues

  Most freshmen are at least 18 years old. In Texas, that means that they are now able to make all their own medical decisions and sign medical consents.

  Breaking confidentiality and releasing information without permission from a student is against the law. It is helpful for parents to understand that healthcare providers may not release information about the healthcare of their children to anyone without the student's signed consent.

  If your student will be under 18 from move-in date on into the semester, you will need to check and “sign” the "Parent/Guardian Authorization" section of the Health Form. This gives your consent for your student to be treated by the nurse and doctor.

  Pre-College Health Exam

  A physical exam is required of all intercollegiate athletes before they arrive on campus. Cheerleaders and athletic trainers are included. Other students do not need to have an exam on file.

  Immunizations

  A Meningococcal Meningitis vaccination is required by state law. All students under the age of 22 who are new, transfer, or readmits are required to show proof of vaccination. Contact your admissions representative for details.

  Current immunization for the following are recommended for all students:

  • DTaP(Diptheria, Tetanus, and acellular Pertussis) Your student should get a booster if he or she has not had one within the past 10 years.
  • Polio: The series should have been completed in childhood.
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella): Students should have two vaccinations.
  • Hepatitis B: A blood-borne virus, considered to be a sexually transmitted disease, can cause inflammation of the liver, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, liver cancer and failure. The vaccination is given in a three-dose series over a six-month period.

  Medical Records and Prescriptions

  If your student has chronic medical problems, it is an excellent idea to have your primary health care provider send the health center a summary of their care, needed interventions, any restrictions on activity and medications used. If the problem involves a disability for which they will need accommodation in the classroom, you need to contact �������ϲ���ʷ������¼'s ADA Coordinator, Dr. Marlene Rendon, as soon as possible.

  The �������ϲ���ʷ������¼ Health Services does not dispense prescription medications. There are several chain
  pharmacies (Wal-Mart, HEB, CVS, Walgreens). Unlike summer camp, your student is allowed to keep all their medications in their room. If they take an injectable prescription (i.e., insulin), they will need a regulation sharps container for disposal of used needles.

  Local Health Care Facilities

  Guadalupe Regional Medical Center, with a 24-hour emergency room, is located on the East side of Seguin. EMS (911) is available for emergencies. Local physician referral line: 830-303-4846.

  First Aid Supplies

  Every student should have some basic health care supplies and equipment to deal with minor illnesses and injuries. Suggestions include:

  Band-Aids, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, medications for colds/allergies, digital thermometer, chemical cold pack (to reduce swelling after a fall, for example), etc.

  Insurance

  Proof of health insurance is required of only athletes and international students. The university does not offer an insurance plan to students.

• Immunization Record Requests