The Student Health Center understands the important role that parents play in their student’s lives, especially when your student is not feeling well.  Most parents have taken care of all of their student’s medical needs until the student leaves home for college.  Although privacy laws limit the information that the Student Health Center can share, there are many ways that we can partner to ensure that your student remains healthy.

As your student prepares to leave for college, you can begin to make them advocates of their own health care by:

• encouraging your student to call and make their next medical appointment and obtain general information about their appointment
• reviewing the basics of your insurance plan with your student, providing them copies of their medical, prescription drug, dental, and/or vision insurance cards, discussing any requirements for pre-approval, whether and when they must notify their insurance company following hospitalization or emergency room care, and the difference between "in network" and "out of network" care
  
• discussing any seasonal, food, or drug allergies and personal and family medical histories and ensuring that your student can provide the basics to their health care provider
• discussing the resources and obtaining a basic knowledge of the resources available on campus and the services (psychotherapy, eating disorders, chronic medical conditions) that may be provided by a local professional in the community
• sending your student to school with basic first aid and over the counter medication(s)
• recommending that your student makes an appointment at the Student Health Center as soon as they feel sick
• encouraging your student to contact health center administration (before they call home) if they are not satisfied with their service

Working together we can help your student:

• develop skills enabling them to understand and participate in decisions concerning their health and the care that they receive
• acquire knowledge of accessing medical services, the cost of medical care, and the necessity for medical insurance
• recognize and engage in healthy behaviors to reduce their risk of illness and injury
  

Please feel free to contact the Student Health Center at 202-885-3380 if you have any questions or need our help!