Wabash College

Student Health Service

Crawfordsville, IN 47933

    In order to provide the best possible medical care to Wabash men, it is essential that we receive complete and accurate health information from each student. We have enclosed a Student Health Record, which you will need to fill out completely. While we do not require that you have a physical examination prior to coming to Wabash, it is recommended for your overall health. We require that your immunizations be up to date and verified by either a physician or licensed nurse. You will NOT be allowed to register for classes this fall if we do not have a completed immunization record. We have also included information on the meningococcal meningitis vaccine. If you are an international student or have had exposure to tuberculosis (T.B.) we require that you receive a TB skin test (Mantoux) prior to coming to Wabash.

The Student Health Record should be completed and brought to Wabash in August. However, you ABSOLUTELY MUST have a TB test read before leaving home and coming to campus.  You cannot enroll without it!! A chest x-ray is required if the TB skin test is read as positive; induration of 5mm or greater in persons who have had recent close contact with persons with active TB; 10mm or greater who have not had close contact with persons with active TB.

If you are planning to participate in intercollegiate athletics at the varsity level you must sign the athletic release at the bottom of the Student Health Record. All varsity athletes will be required to have a physical examination performed by the college physicians or the sports medicine fellow before participating in practice or competition. Your coach or the college trainer will inform you of the date of the physical for your sport.

If you take prescription medication please have your personal physician write you a prescription with enough refills to get you through the school year. If you are taking medications such as Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, etc., we would prefer that your personal physician write your prescription. We will not refill controlled substances without a signed authorization from your physician. Please see attached list of such medications.  If you wear contacts, we strongly recommend you have a backup pair of glasses in case you develop an eye infection, which may not allow the use of contact lenses for a period of time.

If you have a history of mental illness or are taking psychiatric medications we request that you contact the college nurse at lambc@wabash.edu  well in advance of coming to school in the fall. This will allow us to determine possible at-risk students and what type of local psychiatric care you may require. The college physicians do treat mild cases of depression and there is a counseling service available on campus. The curriculum and extra-curricular activities at Wabash can be extremely demanding and can be a strain on young men with a history of mental illness.

MENINGOCOCCAL MENINGITIS VACCINE INFORMATION

Some of you may have read about the availability of a vaccine to help prevent meningococcal meningitis. This is a disease that can be fatal if not recognized early in its course. It is a bacterial infection that inflames the membranes covering the brain and can cause flu-like symptoms including headache, high fever, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness.

College students who live in dormitories and other large living units are more susceptible to contracting the disease because they live in close proximity to many other people. The risk is approximately eight times that of all college students. Even among college students, the disease is rare, striking only about five out of every 100,000 freshmen dorm residents which accounts for only 2% to 3% of all cases each year. It is fatal in 10 to 15% of the cases. Students that binge drink, patronize bars, or have been exposed to cigarette smoke have an increased risk of coming down with the disease.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that college students be made aware of the vaccine. The ACIP does NOT currently recommend that all students be routinely vaccinated. The vaccine that is available enhances immunity to four strains of meningococcus that cause 65 to 70% of invasive disease. After vaccination, immunity develops in seven to ten days. Those who should consider the vaccine include:

1.       Entering college students who elect to decrease their risk for meningococcal disease.

2.       Students 30 years of age or under who request vaccination in order to decrease their risk for disease and are not pregnant. The highest priority should be for students 18 to 24 years old. Students 25 or older have a much lower risk.

3.       Students with medical conditions that compromise immunity, such as HIV, absent spleen or antibody deficiency.

4.       Students traveling to areas of the world with endemic meningococcal disease.

You can access the US Centers for Disease Control web site for an abundance of information regarding health along with many specific recommendations at: www.cdc.gov/travel.

The Wabash Student Health Center can obtain this vaccine for you should you desire to immunized or you can receive it from your family doctor. The cost of the vaccine will be approximately $60. This cost will be your responsibility. If you are interested or have questions, contact the school nurse, Carol Lamb at lambc@wabash.edu .

For more information on the disease and vaccine, you can access the CDC websites at:

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr4907a2.htm

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm

and the American College Health Association (ACHA) web site at:

www.acha.org/

Meningococcal Vaccine

Student health insurance purchased through Wabash College is required for International students. If you have private health insurance, it may have a limited network of doctors or other restrictions, which may not provide coverage in Crawfordsville. It is also imperative that if you are covered by your family health insurance that you have a copy of your insurance card with you at school (please attach a photocopy to your health record if possible). Our school nurse also handles all of the student health insurance issues in addition to her nursing duties.

The Student Health Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday when classes are in session. The physicians see students from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. We ask that the students contact the health center prior to coming in to be seen. This allows us to provide enough time for the student’s needs and to minimize time away from studies.  We recommend that you call ahead for an appointment. Students are seen in the Health Center without charge regardless of insurance status. Laboratory tests, X–rays and any other ancillary procedures will be billed to the student’s private or student health insurance.

After hours care is available at the After Hours Clinic, 1660 Lafayette Road (across the street from Vickerys, north of town on S.R. 231), 359-2088. Hours of the Clinic are Saturday & Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is closed on major holidays. The After Hours Clinic is to be used only for semi– emergencies that cannot wait until Student Health Center hours. For emergencies, students may go to the St. Clare Medical Center Emergency Room, 362-2800. If a student requires admission to the hospital, Drs. Douglas and Roberts or one of their associates will provide their inpatient care.

Regarding privacy: if you are age of 18 or older, the care you receive while at Wabash is protected by federal law. Parents will be informed only when authorized by the student or in emergency situations. Parents may also be informed if a student has a health problem where he could present a danger to himself, other students or the college staff.

If you have any questions regarding the Student Health Center, feel free to stop in, call, or email us as above. Have a safe and enjoyable summer and we look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Sincerely,

Scott K. Douglas, M.D. ‘84

John R. Roberts, M.D. ’83

Carol Lamb, R.N.

Mark Colston; MS, ATC,LAT: Head Trainer

Mark Elizondo; MS,ATC,LAT,CSCS; Asst Trainer