HEALTH SERVICES FAQ. Questions and answers to frequently asked questions at the Geisel School of Medicine

Transcription

1 HEALTH SERVICES FAQ Questins and answers t frequently asked questins at the Geisel Schl f Medicine Updated: May 2015

2 Health Services FAQ Cntents Hw d I find what I need quickly in this dcument? 1 Mental Health Questins 2 Scheduling at Health Services: 5 Scheduling Resurces 8 Frequently Asked Questins: Scheduling 9 VSAS, Immunizatin Recrds, and Health Infrmatin Frms 12 Insurance Questins 13 Away Clerkship Issues 14 Custmer Service Issues 17 Secure Messaging 18 Hw d I find what I need quickly in this dcument? Just use search fr a key wrd! Always identify yurself as a Geisel Student when cntacting Health Services! Page 1 f 21

3 Mental Health Questins What d I d and where d I g if I am experiencing a mental health crisis? The Cunseling and Human Develpment Center (CHD) is the place n campus fr all mental health related cncerns fr medical students. The center is lcated n the 2 nd flr f Health Services. Medical students can access the cunselr n call when crises arise. During regular business hurs: CHD is pen frm 8am t 4:30pm, Mnday thrugh Friday. Summer term hurs are 8am t 4pm, as are hurs during the Cllege s break times, which are psted nline. After regular business hurs: Yu can access the cunselr n-call by calling Health Services Inpatient Department (IPD) at (603) r by calling Safety and Security at (603) I need t see a mental health cunselr but it is nt a crisis. What shuld I d? T schedule an appintment with a mental health cunselr, call (603) Students are nt allwed t make appintments nline fr mental health services. CHD is aware f the challenging schedules fr 3 rd and 4 th year medical students and can accmmdate them when necessary. Be sure t let the receptinist knw if yu are a 3 rd r 4 th year student. Page 2 f 21

4 What is the average wait time fr a mental health appintment at CHD? The average wait time fr a mental health appintment that is NOT a crisis is 3 t 5 days. Hwever, if the presenting issue is a crisis, students can see the cunselr n call that day. Hw d I decide if I need t see a mental health prvider at Health Services? Please refer t the Geisel Map f Where t Turn fr mental health prblems and persnal cunseling. This map is in the resurce sectin f the Student Affairs website and n the bulletin bards in bth student lunges. There are many ptins fr persnal cunseling and advising which include SNAP representatives, Chaplains, Faculty, r Advising Deans. Be practive. If yu can t decide, it is prbably best t make a rutine appintment. Sme students wrry that accessing mental health care will be reprted in their Dean s letter. This is nt true. If a student had a significant prfessinalism prblem, that culd be reflected in the Deans letter. If yu decide t see a prvider at CHD: CHD ffers shrt-term cunseling fr students (up t 10 sessins). Staff clinicians cnduct evaluatins t make a determinatin abut whether students cncerns can be treated in a shrt-term mdel. If students cncerns require lnger term care, CHD can assist with facilitating a referral t a prvider in the cmmunity. CHD can als assist with a Page 3 f 21

5 cmmunity referral if students wish t cntinue with cunseling after they ve exceeded their 10 sessin limit. I knw DHMC residents help prvide medical care at Health Services. Are medical students seen by residents? Psychiatry residents d nt prvide any type f care t Geisel Medical students. Are my sessins cnfidential? What abut faculty wh culd be grading me? On ccasin, medical students have expressed cncern r reluctance t access mental health services ut f fear that their faculty and/r administratrs at Geisel will knw abut their cunseling sessins. CHD des nt cmmunicate with Geisel administratrs r faculty withut a cmpleted release f infrmatin frm signed by the student. Please knw that in times f crises, CHD can cmmunicate basic infrmatin t Geisel Administratrs that allws them t supprt medical students thrugh their crises. Students are made aware whenever that happens. Prviders f student health care at CHD may nt be invlved in the assessment f Geisel Students (including grading r summative feedback) r a member f the Cmmittee f Student Perfrmance and Cnduct (CSPC). Page 4 f 21

6 If I want t see a cunselr, hw d I avid running int a resident r smene else I may knw persnally while I am waiting? Be sure t pint ut yur cncern and need fr an alternative waiting space when yu check in. Alternate waiting spaces can be made available. Scheduling at Health Services: Online Scheduling, Reserved Geisel Urgent Care Appintments and Early am Bld Draws Online Scheduling As part f an nging effrt t imprve services at the Cllege Health Service, appintments are nw available t schedule nline. This system may be accessed at any time fr scheduling visits in ur primary care/wmen s health clinic. The nline appintment system can be accessed thrugh the Health Services On-Line link n yur Banner page. Yu must be registered t use this system. The available appintment times cnstantly change, bth fr call-in and nline appintments. Therefre, if yu d nt see an nline appintment that suits yur schedule, please call the Appintment Office at (603) Please nte the times specifically reserved fr Geisel students (urgent, lunch, weekend visits and early am bld draws) cannt be scheduled n line. Please call the Appintment Office. Once yu have chsen the reasn fr yur visit nline, the first available appintments will fill the screen. Page 5 f 21

7 Hw d I schedule far in advance? Call the Appintment Office, especially if yu are requesting a specific prvider. All registered students shuld have access t the appintment system frm the Health Service On-Line link. If yu can t access the Health Service On-Line link n yur Banner page, r yu receive an errr message please cntact Health.Service.Infrmatin.Technlgy@dartmuth.edu Here are a cuple f tips t help yu with nline scheduling: Carefully select the reasn fr yur visit. An incrrectly web-bked appintment may mean we have t reschedule yur visit. If yu are asked t fill ut a pre-visit questinnaire, please d s befre yur visit. The questinnaire will aid in the efficiency f yur visit. In the event a questinnaire is nt cmpleted at the time f yur visit, we may have t reschedule yur appintment t anther time. Yu are welcme t cntact the Appintment Office ( ) r Dick s.huse.primary.care@dartmuth.edu during regular business hurs, Mnday Friday 8am 4pm, if yu have additinal questins r cncerns, r if yu wish t discuss ptins fr care shuld yu nt see an appintment time that wrks with yur schedule. Our gal is t answer phne calls and s in the rder they are received and within 24 hurs. See the sectin belw n reserved Geisel times that are nt available thrugh nline scheduling, since they are reserved nly fr Geisel. Appintments Reserved fr Geisel Students Only: Urgent care weekday lunch times, urgent care weekend and early a.m. bld draws Page 6 f 21

8 Lunch time appintments: T accmmdate the demanding schedule f the med schl, Health Services ffers urgent care nn time appintments in the Primary Care clinic, specifically fr Geisel patients, n Tuesdays and Thursdays. We d request that Geisel students call the Appintment Office and identify themselves as such, s that we are able t ascertain that we are scheduling these appintments fr an apprpriate patient. These appintments are nt available thrugh electrnic scheduling since they are nly available t Geisel students. Health Services des cntinue t ffer limited nn time appintments every weekday as part f ur triage clinic. Urgent care and weekend appintments: The Health Services weekend clinic prvider will see tw Geisel students each mrning during ur Saturday and Sunday weekend/urgent care clinics fr urgent care cncerns and script refills. These clinics are frm 9am 1pm and are fr urgent issues. Geisel students are asked t fllw the rutine prtcl fr cntacting the weekend clinician. Please call the main number fr DHMC, (603) and ask the switchbard t page the Health Services prvider n call. Please identify yurself as a Geisel student, giving them yur name and phne number. The weekend prvider will call back with an appintment time Third years: Please cntinue t utilize the day ff between clerkships t schedule yur rutine appintments. Appintments are specifically reserved fr Geisel students until 2 weeks prir t the day ff when they are pened t all Dartmuth students. A great tip: As sn as yu have yur third year schedule sit dwn and schedule yur rutine care appintments in advance! Urgent care weekdays: Health Services will cntinue t ffer urgent care visits n Mnday thrugh Friday frm 4:30pm t 6pm fr urgent cncerns fr all students. Keep in mind that this clinic is fr any and all students, and we have ne prvider available during this Page 7 f 21

9 time, withut supprt staff. The prvider cvering the clinic will triage based n the acuity f the cncerns at that time. Hwever, if the clinic is nt full, Geisel students may als be seen during this time fr nn-acute needs, such as fr script refills and referrals. Early a.m. bld draws: Fr labs rdered by a Health Services clinician, we have an arrangement fr Geisel patients t cme in between 6am 7:30am weekdays fr bld draws except during undergraduate intersessins. Appintments must be scheduled in advance. Between 6am 7:30am, please call the Nurse s Statin at (603) Between 7:30am 8am, please schedule thrugh the Appintment Office (603) This is nt available in electrnic scheduling since this is nly available t Geisel students. Scheduling Resurces Health Services hurs fllw the Undergrad schedule. Between terms and during breaks, all ffices clse at 4pm. The Infirmary is clsed during thse times as well. Regular hurs fr Cunseling are 8am-4:30pm during the spring, fall and winter terms. Summer and between terms they clse at 4pm. Links t the undergraduate calendars can be fund at: Fr Health Services links and infrmatin, see: Urgent Care: Mnday - Friday, 4:30pm-6pm, limited appintments available Nurse Advice Line: (603) fr assessment and telephne advice during nights and weekends Mental Health Services: (603) Page 8 f 21

10 Frequently Asked Questins: Scheduling I think I may have a UTI and I am n a clerkship, s it is difficult t make arrangements t be absent frm early mrning runds t be seen at Health Services. Call the Health Service Appintment Office at (603) between 8am and 4pm r the Receptin Desk at (603) between 4pm and 6pm. Apprpriate scheduling ptins can be suggested/scheduled based n yur current schedule and staffing at the Health Service. Telephne triage and/r after hurs nursing care may be an ptin depending n yur specific symptms. Please nte: Clinical Educatin and clerkship directrs will excuse yu fr medical illnesses that require attentin, as will preclinical curse directrs. Fllw the attendance plicy regarding ntifying the faculty. I had a UTI, was treated, and they asked me t drp ff a urine culture t fllw-up. I am n surgery and my weekday wrk hurs are frm 5am t 6pm. Hw can I d this? Urine samples are prcessed in huse during regular business hurs at the Health Service. Hwever, yu can drp yur sample ff at Health Services after hurs at the secnd flr nurses statin during the fall, winter and spring terms. Please call ahead at (603) s the nursing team can plan fr yur arrival. I have sme unexpected free time; can I drp by t get a bld draw fr titers withut an appintment? If a Medical Assistant is available, sure. All visits are by appintment nly, but if a Medical Assistant has Page 9 f 21

11 a free slt the Appintment Office will schedule yu right in. Als see the sectin n the reserved early am bld draws fr Geisel students. I was tld t have a fllw-up appintment fr my X in 4 weeks. Will that be an excused clerkship absence? Yes, ur plicies clearly state that this is an excused absence. An absence is excused in the event f student illnesses including infectins that culd put patients r ther staff at risk. Timesensitive fllw-ups recmmended by yur prvider are always excused. This has been discussed and is a plicy frm the clerkship directr and advisrs meetings. Yu shuld ntify the clerkship directr and administratr as sn as yu schedule the appintment. I am a third year student wh was seen at Health Services fr a prblem visit. They asked me t cme back in fur weeks. I will be n Ob-Gyn at DHMC. I am nt sure when my afternn psts call will be. If I wait t get the schedule, the appintment slts will be filled. What shuld I d? First, check the clerkship infrmatin. They may have already defined yur call schedule. If yu d nt knw yur schedule and need t schedule a fllw-up appintment, schedule it in advance and let the clerkship directr knw. When yu receive yur clerkship call schedule, cntact Health Services and see if a return appintment is pssible n yur nw knwn afternn ff. If nt, let the clerkship directr knw and keep yur riginal fllw-up appintment. Page 10 f 21

12 If yu will be ff site and need a time sensitive fllw-up, see the questin belw. Are there after hurs times fr me? If yu have an urgent prblem, see the sectin Geisel Reserved appintments. There are ften times available frm 4:30pm t 6pm each weekday. Yu culd call (603) t verify. If yu are experiencing an urgent medical issue after regular business hurs we encurage yu t call the Nursing Department at (603) t determine the best way t access care. Always identify yurself as a Geisel student. If yu are a third year use the day ff between clerkships. Prescriptin Issues (Als see sectin n away clerkships and prescriptins when ff campus) Is it pssible t have a prescriptin refilled via telephne r e- mail? (i.e.: albuterl inhaler) If yu have refills left, yes. Call the pharmacy at (603) and ask them t refill the prescriptin. Saves time at pick up. If yu need a new prescriptin written, yu can call the Appintment Office and ask fr the prescriptin. They will check with yur prvider and arrange fr the refill r the prvider will cntact yu. Page 11 f 21

13 If yu are picking up a mental health prescriptin, yu wuld typically need t prvide yur pht ID at pick up. Yu wuld als need prir apprval frm yur prvider n file fr smene else t pick up yur medicatin. Can smene else pick up a prescriptin fr me at Dick s Huse pharmacy? Yes, althugh if there is a charge (c-pay) they wuld have t pay fr it. Please call ahead t let the pharmacy knw. VSAS, Immunizatin Recrds, and Health Infrmatin Frms Sme VSAS applicatins require health infrmatin. I am uncmfrtable getting my anti-depressant thrugh Health Services, as I d nt want this shared with anther institutin. Als why d they need t knw if I had an abnrmal Pap smear and a high risk HPV? D yu have any suggestins? Talk t Michele Jaeger, the Registrar, befre lading any f this infrmatin int yur applicatin. Yu may nt be in the right place n the frm, as this is nt standard r typical health infrmatin. I need my immunizatin recrds, hw can I get them? In sme situatins yu will need an fficial recrd frm the Health Service. If s, cntact Medical Recrds at (603) , r Medical.Recrds@dartmuth.edu. Smetimes yu just need a printut fr yur wn use, r an unfficial recrd. Gd news! This is readily available n Banner: Page 12 f 21

14 1. Access Banner Page 2. Click n the Health Services On-Line link 3. In the green bar n the left, click n Immunizatins, then print. I need frms cmpleted fr away rtatins, hw d I d that? Students shuld cmplete all persnal infrmatin n each schl frm and answer any applicable TB screening questins. Frms may be brught t Dick s Huse fr cmpletin, r scanned and sent t: medical.recrds@dartmuth.edu Please d nt fill in the vaccine dates; this will be cmpleted by Health services. Yu will be ntified f any missing vaccines, titers, etc. *Be advised, titers are nt cvered under the DSGHP. A bill will be generated frm DHMC and titers cst between $50 -$100. Please cntact the insurance ffice directly with any cverage questins. See belw fr cntact infrmatin. Insurance Questins Insurance Issues: My bills seem way t high! We have had sme significant billing issues emerge ver the last several years when students are seen utside f the Health Service. These have been cmplex and we are wrking t find all f the reasns fr these issues which include sme new database cmpatibility issues. Basic take hme: We can get the bills crrected and we are wrking n preventing this issue. Page 13 f 21

15 Cntact r Remember yu always need a referral frm Health Services t access cnsultants at DHMC. I have a questin abut my Dartmuth Student Grup Health Plan (DSGHP) plicy. Wh d I cntact? Yu can call, stp by r send an . The DSGHP ffice is pen frm 8am t 4:30pm Mnday thrugh Friday. Yu can reach them by phne at (603) r (603) and by at Dartmuth.Student.Health.Plan@Dartmuth.edu r ask Din! Why dn t we have visin insurance? Several careful financial analyses f visin insurance have been dne and the plans are nt cst effective. The csts fr these n an annual basis far exceed what the vast majrity f ur students wuld spend n visin/dental care. Hwever, fr dental wrk yu can save mney by utilizing the Basix Dental Savings Prgram, which is utlined n the Dartmuth Student Grup Health Plan webpage: Away Clerkship Issues: where t get care and pharmacy issues (als applies t ther times yu are ff campus!) I am away n rtatin and need t be seen right away and am cvered under the Dartmuth Student Grup Health Plan (DSGHP). Hw d I find ut where I can g based n my plicy? We encurage yu t familiarize yurself with plan prviders in the area t which yu will be traveling befre yu leave campus. This infrmatin is reviewed Page 14 f 21

16 as part f the year three rientatin prcess. Yu can cntact a physician within the prvider netwrk, which can be accessed via the Cigna website: If yu are ff campus, yu d nt need a referral (On campus yu ALWAYS need a referral!) All yu d is fill in yur lcatin and what type f prvider yu need n the frm that is pasted belw. If yu are nt cvered by DSGHP but still need t be seen while yu are away, cntact the custmer service number n the back f yur Health Plan ID card fr assistance. They will ask fr yur plicy and grup numbers lcated n the frnt f yur ID card. I need 8 weeks f my medicatin while I am gne n my clerkship. I wn t have enugh given my current renewal date falls smack dab in the middle f my clerkship in Tuba City, Arizna. What shuld I d? This may be cmplicated r relatively easy depending n what medicatin yu are n, when yur last refill was and if yu are n the DSGHP. DSGHP allws up t three mnths quantity per fill n many prescriptins. Sme prescriptins, hwever, cannt be refilled fr that length f time per New Hampshire law. Page 15 f 21

17 Nn DSGHP insurances have individual rules abut refills and may nt allw multiple refills. In this case an individualized pharmacy cnsult will usually be able t help slve yur dilemma. Or, yu can review yur pharmacy benefits with yur insurance cmpany. Here are sme basic strategies: Plan ahead! Secnd years, pst lttery: If yu are n DSHGP (r a private insurance that als allws medicatins t be dispensed in advance) lk at yur away clerkship schedule and figure ut a renewal date that wuld allw cmmn prescriptins t be refilled n a 3 mnth basis. Ntify the pharmacist by phne call r (Dicks.Huse.Pharmacy@dartmuth.edu) t discuss yur ptin with the pharmacist. Be sure t mentin that yu are a Geisel student. Please d this as sn as pssible in the spring t allw fr individual differences between state laws and insurance cmpanies t be vercme! If yu are n a medicatin that des nt allw this (as described abve) then please cntact the pharmacist. The slutin may need t be individualized depending n what state yu are ging t fr yur clerkship. The pharmacist will wrk with yu t find a slutin which may include transfer in yur prescriptin t that state. If yu have never seen a Health Service prvider it is an excellent idea t have a rutine primary care visit s yu can cmmunicate easily and wrk with a health prvider while yu are away. Obtaining prescriptins and medical advice withut an inpersn visit are mre easily facilitated. While away in Valdez, Alaska fr my clerkship I develped titis and was given an antibitic prescriptin. Hw d I get reimbursed under the DSGHP? Page 16 f 21

18 Use yur prescriptin insurance plan when yu have the prescriptin filled if the pharmacy accepts the plan. The reimbursement frm can be fund n the DSGHP website: macy%20claim%20frm.pdf If I am nt cvered by DSGHP, hw d I get reimbursed? Cntact the custmer service number lcated n the back f yur Health Plan ID card. I need t pick up a prescriptin frm Health Services but can t be there during regular hurs, can smene else pick up a prescriptin fr me? (Maybe a little sib fr upperclassman?) Yes, althugh if there is a charge (c-pay) they wuld have t pay fr it. Custmer Service Issues: Cmmunicatin Feedback Frm and Cntacts Please use the Health Services feedback frm, r call Student Affairs with any new Health Services issues s we can cntinue t imprve yur access and health care. What is the feedback frm? Student Affairs meets regularly with the Health Services t review student feedback t fishbne challenges frm the feedback frms. This type f apprach has led t many imprvements! The feedback frm will nt be linked t yur name. The link: Page 17 f 21

19 If apprpriate, please cntact the fllwing supervisry staff members at the Health Service: Medical Recrds/Immunizatin Cmpliance, elective frms: Diane Epstein DSGHP, Insurance Infrmatin, Patient Accunts: Ginger Farewell-Lawrence, (r Din Kff) Appintments/Clinical Affairs: Sandee Rbinsn, I need t cntact a persn in billing r DSGHP during ff hurs, hw d I d that? Send a request t the general mailbx with the persn s name yu want t speak with (r department) and request a phne meeting. They are happy t accmmdate these requests r use secure messaging. Secure Messaging The Health Service uses an applicatin called Secure Messaging t prvide secure cmmunicatin between ur patients and their clinicians. The Secure Messaging feature encrypts data t and frm the patient, which prtects infrmatin abut cnfidential health care. Recgnizing that Geisel students ften have limited time fr phne calls during regular business hurs, Health Services encurages patients t use Secure Messaging as a way t cmmunicate with their prviders. The Health Services prviders may facilitate prescriptin refills, fllw up care and referrals fr established patients wh may need additinal medical care t cver their needs while away frm campus fr an extended perid f time. Page 18 f 21

20 T view a Secure Message frm yur prvider: 1. Yu will receive an message frm the Health Service. The message reads: Yu have received a secure message frm Health Services. T view this message, sign n t yur Banner page and click n the Health Services On Line link. There yu will find access t yur messages. This message may cntain cnfidential health infrmatin. 2. Lg n t yur Banner page. 3. Near the bttm f yur Banner page, yu will ntice a link Health Service On Line. 4. Press the CTRL key while clicking n the Health Service On Line link. (Pressing the CTRL key will eliminate prblems with pp-up blckers.) 5. The hme page fr Health Service On Line Services will appear. 6. On the left side f the page, yu will ntice several links, click n the Messages link. 7. The Secure Message inbx displays the sender s name, date, time, and subject. 8. Click n the Read It buttn t read yur message. 9. Click n the Reply buttn t respnd t the Secure Message, and then click Send & Prceed. 10. The Secure Message in bx will return t yur screen. Page 19 f 21

21 T initiate a new Secure Message t a different prvider: 1. Lg n t yur Banner page. 2. Near the bttm f yur Banner page, yu will ntice a link Health Service On-Line. 3. Press the CTRL key while clicking n the Health Service On- Line link. (Pressing the CTRL key will eliminate prblems with pp-up blckers.) 4. The hme page fr Health Services On-Line Services will appear. 5. On the left side f the page, yu will ntice several links, click n the Messages link. 6. The Secure Message inbx will appear. 7. Click n New Message 8. Chse the grup f prviders yu wuld like t message and then click Cntinue. 9. Click Add Recipient. 10. Click n the name f the clinician frm the listing. 11. Type in yur message and click Send & Prceed. What abut drug screening fr away electives? See the student handbk fr the health plicies n immunizatins, influenza waivers, and drug screens. Als, there is imprtant infrmatin regarding hw t assess whether yu are well enugh t be in clinical care settings. If yu have had a Geisel mandatry drug screen, it will be nted in yur Health Services recrd. If an away elective requires a mre recent test, yu will need t cntact Occupatinal Medicine at Page 20 f 21

22 DHMC s this can be rdered. Please nte: yu will be billed fr this nn-geisel mandated drug screen. Page 21 f 21