- Welcome Letter from the Directors of the Health Service
Dear Incoming Student:
Welcome to Barnard College! This letter is intended as a guide to help you through the Health Service portion of the admissions process. We will also offer some important tips on how to take good care of yourself while you are here.
First, it is essential that you complete all of the medical forms that are included in the admissions packet. New York State law requires that all students have documentation of 2 measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations and that all students complete the Meningitis Response form. These forms (pages 2-4) are essential to your being allowed to stay registered at Barnard. Please arrange an appointment with your medical provider in order to have all the proper forms completed in time. Please submit all forms to: Barnard College, Student Health Service, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027.
We also would like to make some suggestions on how to prepare to stay healthy at Barnard. Some of these suggestions are based on experience with current students, and some are based on recommendations endorsed by the Society for Adolescent Medicine.
At the time of your required pre-college exam by your medical provider, please take advantage of that visit to get to know details about your health.
- Learn your family medical history. This may be in your records from when you were much younger and may contain information of which you are not aware.
- Obtain a copy of your immunization history for your own personal records.
- Discuss any ongoing medical or psychiatric problems with your medical provider and formulate a plan for the care you will need at Barnard. If you have a chronic illness, it would be advisable for you to have a copy of your medical records with you. If ongoing medical follow-up is needed, please visit us at the Health Service when you arrive. We can either work with you here or refer you to a specialist as needed. (We maintain a list of board-certified specialists which we update on a regular basis.)
- Learn about your health insurance
coverage and make sure that if you have private family health insurance, you
have an insurance card with you here at Barnard.
- Does your plan cover health care in New York City?
- Do you have a prescription plan? What is your co-pay?
- Health care visits at the Health Service are free. However, if you need a referral to an outside specialist, that visit is not free. In that case, if you have private family insurance, you will use your own insurance first, and then UnitedHealthcare Student Insurance, the mandatory insurance provided by Barnard College, will cover at least part of the referral visit. UnitedHealthcare Student Insurance will cover visits only if a Barnard Health Service provider has referred you. For more insurance information log onto www.uhcsr.com/barnard/.
- While the Health Service visits are free, prescription medications are not. We maintain a small dispensary on site for commonly used medications for which there is a charge. If you have private insurance with a prescription plan, you might be given a prescription to be filled in a local pharmacy, as your co-pay may be less than what we have to charge you for your medication.
- Bring a small medical kit for use “just in case.” This should include the following:
- A digital thermometer
- Acetaminophen or ibuprofen
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Your favorite cold preparation
- A chemical ice pack
- Band-aids
- Antibiotic ointment
We look forward to meeting you. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help make your transition here an easier one.
Sincerely,
Brenda Slade, NP, MA, Director
Marjorie Seidenfeld, MD, Medical Director
