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Appendix C

Chapter 4. The Student Health Center

Subchapter 4-100. General Provisions

Sec. 4-101. Purpose

The health center exists primarily as a service to assist the student to avoid or minimize any interruption in his or her academic program due to medical reasons. Toward that end, the health center provides (1) a broad range of professional medical services for the prompt diagnosis and treatment of short-term illnesses and injuries; (2) a variety of disease prevention and health promotion programs; (3) immunizations for vaccine-preventable diseases; and (4) wellness education programs.

For a detailed discussion of benefits and services offered, see the Student Health Center brochure, available at the health center.

Sec. 4-102. Definitions

In this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning,
  1. "director" means the director of the Student Health Center;
  2. "health center" means the Student Health Center;
  3. "president" means the president of the University of Texas at Austin;
  4. "student" means a person enrolled at the university;
  5. "university" means the University of Texas at Austin; and
  6. "vice president" means the vice president for student affairs, or a delegate or representative of the vice president.

Subchapter 4-200. The Director and Administrative Staff of the Student Health Center

Sec. 4-201. The Director

  1. The director is responsible for the overall operation of the health center and reports to the vice president for student affairs.
  2. The director is responsible for establishing the organizational structure and specifying functional relationships among organizational components, providing for the orderly development and management of the health center, supporting a policy on patients' rights and responsibilities, and maintaining a program that evaluates the quality of care provided and appropriately addresses identified problems.

Sec. 4-202. The Associate Director for Administrative Services

During the director's absence, the associate director for administrative services assumes the administrative duties of the director and, in consultation with the associate director for clinical services, either refers matters to the appropriate member of the administrative staff or makes decisions where immediate adjudication is required. Matters of medical concern are referred to the associate director for clinical services.

Sec. 4-203. The Associate Director for Clinical Services

  1. The associate director for clinical services is responsible for all medical activities of the health center.
  2. The associate director for clinical services or the associate director's designate shall notify the appropriate academic dean of any student whose medical condition indicates that withdrawal from the University would be in the best interest of the student (see section 4-502).

Subchapter 4-300. The Student Health Committee

Sec. 4-301. Membership

  1. The Student Health Committee has a membership equally apportioned between members of the General Faculty and students. The members are
    1. at least three members of the General Faculty, appointed by the president for two-year terms; and
    2. at least three students, designated by Student Government and appointed by the president for one-year terms.
  2. The dean of students and the director, or their representatives, serve as administrative advisers without vote.

Sec. 4-302. Duties

The committee shall
  1. act in an advisory capacity regarding policy and administrative matters, except those matters involving medical procedures;
  2. promote understanding of the role and function of the health center in the university community; and
  3. hear complaints about alleged inequities in student health services and make appropriate recommendations to the president when the alleged inequities cannot be resolved by health center personnel.

Subchapter 4-400. Medical Clearance Requirements for New and Returning Students, Fees, Payment for Services, Eligibility for Health Center Services

Sec. 4-401. Medical Clearance Requirements

  1. Students must provide proof of the following, certified by a physician or nurse, before they will be allowed to register:
    1. All entering students: documentation of a tetanus/diphtheria combination injection within the past ten years.
    2. All students born after January 1, 1957:
      1. Measles--documentation of measles disease or measles titer indicating immunity or two doses of live measles vaccine administered after 1968:
        1. both doses must have been given after the age of one year, and
        2. the second dose must have been given at least thirty days after the first dose.
      2. Mumps--documentation of live mumps vaccine, mumps disease, or mumps titer indicating immunity to mumps.
      3. Rubella--documentation of rubella vaccine or rubella titer indicating immunity to rubella. Documentation of rubella disease does not satisfy the requirement for proof of immunity to rubella.
    3. For all students born outside the United States: a PPD skin test for tuberculosis performed in the United States within one year of admission to the university.
    4. Although a physical examination is not required, all new students and returning students who have not attended the university for the past five years must complete and return proof of immunization status to the Student Health Center prior to registration.
  2. Exclusion from requirements (1) and (2) may be allowed on the basis of medical contraindications or religious conflict. Any prospective new student requesting a waiver of requirements (1) and (2) must provide either
    1. an affidavit signed by a physician duly licensed under the Medical Practice Act, stating that in his or her opinion as a physician the required immunization(s) could be injurious to the student's health, or
    2. an affidavit signed by the student, or the student's parent or guardian if a minor, stating that the immunizations conflict with the tenets and practice of a recognized church or religious denomination of which the student is an adherent or member. During emergencies or epidemics declared by the Commission of Health of the State of Texas, exemption on the basis of religious conflict may be denied.

Sec. 4-402. Fees

The health center is supported entirely by the medical services fee and charges for certain supplies and services. There is no charge for office visits during regular hours of operation; however there are charges for many services and procedures such as laboratory tests, X rays, physical therapy treatments, and medications. These charges are generally lower than the cost of comparable services in the local community. An after-hours fee is assessed on weeknights, weekends, and official university holidays.

Sec. 4-403. Payment for Services

Any student who incurs a charge for services rendered by the health center must satisfy such indebtedness expeditiously. Every possible assistance will be rendered to the student by the health center in making arrangements for satisfaction of incurred charges. The health center will report to the Office of Accounting the names of those students who fail to pay their charges at the health center within the specified period of time, and the processing of the student's transcript, diploma, and/or continued registration will be denied until outstanding charges have been paid in full.

Sec. 4-404. Eligibility for Health Center Services

  1. An individual may use the center's services if
    1. the person is regularly enrolled at the university;
    2. the person is participating in university sponsored short-term activities such as seminars, institutes, and workshops, provided the sponsoring agency has received approval from the director. Fees will be based on nonstudent rates.
  2. Registered students become eligible to use the health center during the week prior to the first day of class each semester. Specific eligibility dates are published in the official university calendar.

Subchapter 4-500. General Administrative Policies

Sec. 4-501. Informed Consent

The parent or guardian of a minor student must give appropriate consent for treatment before care can be provided at the health center, except in cases where urgent care is required.

Sec. 4-502. Medical Withdrawal from the University

Withdrawal from the university for medical reasons may (a) be initiated at the request of a student or (b) be mandatory when the medical condition of the student has been determined to constitute a direct threat to the health and safety of the student or to individuals who come in contact with the student. Withdrawal for either reason must be approved by the associate director for clinical services or the associate director's designate.

Sec. 4-503. Reduced Course Load

Course load reductions are always the prerogative of the academic dean; where medical or psychological reasons are given, the role of the associate director for clinical services or the associate director's designate is advisory only.

Sec. 4-504. Responsibility of Health Center

Any intentional action on the part of the student which is against the advice of a health center physician abrogates all responsibility on the part of the health center.

Sec. 4-505. Permission to Administer Preparations

Permission to administer preparations ordered by a private physician will be granted only if the student presents a written order from the prescribing physician which contains the following:
  1. the type of medication,
  2. the dosage schedule,
  3. any cautions and contraindications, and
  4. description of the method of administration.

Sec. 4-506. Urgent Care Services

  1. In case of a medical emergency where life is threatened, 911 should be called. The health center is not equipped to manage medical emergencies.
  2. Urgent care is available to a student who sustains an acute injury or suffers a sudden illness requiring immediate medical attention between the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM Saturday and Sunday and on official university holidays. There may be a charge for this service.
  3. There is a charge for urgent care services on weeknights from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM, weekends, and official university holidays.
  4. The University Police Department may provide escort service on campus when a sudden illness or injury occurs.
  5. The health center is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Sec. 4-507. Treatment at Other Facilities

  1. The health center assumes no financial responsibility for a student's care at another medical facility.
  2. A student who goes to or is taken to another medical facility, regardless of geographical location or other circumstantial factors, for emergency or other treatment, is responsible for all resulting costs.

Sec. 4-508. Personal Property

  1. The health center is not responsible for a student's personal belongings; the student is responsible for arranging for the safekeeping of these articles.
  2. In instances wherein custody of a patient's property by the health center is necessary, or wherein a patient leaves personal possessions in waiting rooms or clinics, the health center will exercise all prudent means of securing and returning such property to the owner, but cannot be held responsible for losses through theft.

Sec. 4-509. Medical Records

All original medical records and other documents of treatment, whether from the health center or another facility or provider, are the property of the health center. Medical information will be reported as required by state law. Additional information from patient records will be released only with informed written consent.

Sec. 4-510. Parking for Students with Disabilities

The health center provides students temporary permits to park in campus spaces designated for the disabled. Temporary permits may be issued for a period up to six months. The student must provide verification of need from a physician, including type of medical condition and length of time the permit will be required. Faculty and staff members may submit requests for temporary permits for the disabled to the Office of Parking and Traffic. License plates and placards issued by the state for use both on and off campus may be obtained at the Office of the County Tax Assessor-Collector.

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