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Letter to Parents of First Year Students

June 2011

Dear First Year Student Family Members:

Welcome to UGA. We know that with all that is going on in the transition to college life, there is little time to think ahead about staying healthy or about illness prevention. However, the University Health Center (UHC) is committed to both treating health problems and preventing illness for all of our students. We strive to be an active partner in health with students and their families.

Access to Care
Primary care is provided by four teams of medical professionals consisting of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and other support staff. To provide convenient, personalized care, students are assigned to one personal primary care provider who is a member of a medical team. Teams are identified by color – Gold, Red, Blue and Green.

UHC offers specialty services through our Dental Clinic, Vision Clinic, and Physical Therapy Department. Students have access to routine dental cleaning and needed dental care, optometry visits with contact lenses and glasses available, and physical therapy for injuries or after surgery, as well as chronic PT needs. Massage therapy is available in the PT department. Massage gift certificates are a welcome stress reducer for students at finals and can be purchased by calling 706-542-8621.

Patients are seen by appointment for primary care and specialty care. Appointments can be made using the online portal, by phone, or in person. A valid UGA ID is required to access all services at UHC. Scheduling an appointment is very important so that the visit time is convenient to the class schedule, waiting time is minimized, and enough time is allowed to address your student's needs.

Required Forms and Immunizations
Students must complete the online Entrance Medical Health History form and the Patient Agreement form prior to being seen at UHC. These forms are online at www.uhs.uga.edu/appts_forms/open_comm.html and are accessible when your student logs into the online portal using the UGA nine digit ID number. Students under 18 at the time of registration (a minor in the state of Georgia) must submit a paper Patient Agreement form signed by a parent or guardian before any treatment can be provided. This form can be mailed to UHC or can be delivered in person to UHC's Patient Registration.

The Board of Regents requires all incoming students for fall 2011 to be immunized against measles, mumps and rubella, varicella (chicken pox) and tetanus, to be able to register for classes. If your student is 18 or younger, proof of immunization to hepatitis B is also required. Documentation of vaccines or blood titers must be provided on the form available at www.uhs.uga.edu/appts_forms/immunizations.html. A tuberculosis screening questionnaire is included with the immunization form and must be completed and submitted with other immunization information.

A vaccine is available to protect against meningococcal meningitis. While the incidence of the disease is very low, it is serious and can be fatal. The vaccine will decrease, but not eliminate the risk of meningococcal meningitis. Students residing in UGA residence halls are required to sign documentation that they have either received the meningitis vaccine or have reviewed information about the disease and have declined the vaccine. University Housing will distribute a UHC fact sheet about meningitis prior to the fall semester.

Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection and is preventable. Information on flu prevention is on our website. We highly recommend that each student gets a flu shot annually, understands how to avoid getting the flu and knows what to do if flu symptoms develop.

All vaccines are available at UHC, and those required to complete registration will be offered during orientation. Payment is due at the time of services. Immunization hours are Monday – Friday from 8:30 – 11:00 am and 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Optional or recommended vaccines are available by appointment during the semester.

Payment for Services
Unlimited visits to the primary care provider and medical team are included with the UGA Health Fee. Treatments, such as medications, prescriptions, procedures, lab work or X-rays, as well as counseling and specialty services, are charged a fee due at the time of the visit.

It is important for every student with health insurance to bring their insurance card with them to campus. You will need to contact your insurance company to see if our services are covered under your policy. UHC can file any charges with the insurance company for reimbursement, but we are participating providers only with the University System voluntary student health insurance plan administered by Pearce and Pearce and the UGA mandatory student health insurance plan administered by GM Southwest, Inc. For more detailed information about eligibility, mandatory groups of students, enrollment and waivers, visit the Human Resources website at www.hr.uga.edu, then select "Student Health Insurance" from the left menu.

Additional information about all UHC services is available on our website at www.uhs.uga.edu. Information just for parents can be found at www.uhs.uga.edu/parents.

We encourage each student to ask questions about their health and safety and to be actively engaged in their health care and treatment. Surveys are sent to all students to provide us feedback about their visit, and we encourage them to let us know about their experience.

We hope your student has a healthy successful year at UGA.