Policies
Appointment Policies
Appointment Scheduling
The Student Health Center (SHC) is not a walk-in urgent care clinic or emergency department and cannot accommodate patients without an appointment, i.e., walk-ins or drop-ins.
Patients who arrive at the Student Health Center without an appointment and have urgent or emergency health concerns will be referred to the University of Tennessee Medical Center or another local hospital for further evaluation. Urgent or emergency medical issues should not be delayed by first coming to the Student Health Center.
Patients with non-urgent or non-emergent health concerns who arrive at the SHC without an appointment will be advised to contact the Telephone Triage Nurse to schedule an appointment.
Late Arrivals or Missed Appointments
Patients are encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes before their appointment time to complete any necessary administrative procedures and avoid reducing the amount of time their provider can dedicate to their care.
The following options are available to patients who arrive and check-in late:
- You may contact the Telephone Triage Nurse at 865-974-5080 to reschedule your appointment. Should you elect to reschedule, your provider will be notified so that their office may contact you if needed.
- You may choose to wait to be seen by your provider at their next available opportunity. Patients who arrive on time for their appointments will be given priority, so you should anticipate an extended wait.
Patients who miss appointments and do not cancel at least one hour before their scheduled appointment time may be assessed a missed appointment fee.
- For most primary care appointments, the missed appointment fee will be $25.
- For psychiatry appointments, the missed appointment fee will be $50.
To avoid this fee, please cancel or reschedule at least one hour before your scheduled appointment time.
Cancellations
Patients who are unable to keep a scheduled appointment must cancel at least one hour before the appointment time. This window of time allows us to offer the time slot to another patient.
Appointments may be canceled by:
- Contacting the provider’s nurse at their office number, or
- Speaking with a triage nurse at 865-974-5080.
- Logging into the patient portal
Patients who repeatedly do not keep appointments or fail to cancel appointments at least one hour in advance can lose their scheduling privileges and will be required to meet with the Student Health Center associate director or designee before scheduling any further appointments.
Patients who miss appointments and do not cancel at least one hour before their scheduled appointment time may be assessed a missed appointment fee.
- For most primary care appointments, the missed appointment fee will be $25.
- For psychiatry appointments, the missed appointment fee will be $50.
To avoid this fee, please cancel or reschedule at least one hour before your scheduled appointment time.
Patient’s Rights and Responsibilities
The Student Health Center (SHC) believes that all individuals have basic rights when receiving healthcare. We are committed to upholding those rights for all who seek care from our staff. We believe this is a partnership with our patients. In return, patients have basic responsibilities that we respectfully request they uphold.
Patient’s Rights and Responsibilities
Opioid Analgesics Policy
Providers at the Student Health Center do not prescribe opioid analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain. Patients requiring chronic pain management, including the use of opioid analgesics, will be referred to an appropriate off-site resource for ongoing care and management of their chronic pain.
Privacy and Security Policies
Patient Privacy and Consent to Release Information
FERPA-protected Patient Information and Records
At the Student Health Center (SHC), patient privacy and the release of protected health information are governed by the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA).
Students seen as a patient at the SHC are treated as adults. As such, a student must consent to the release of their health information, except as otherwise exempted in our Notice of Privacy Practices statement. Parents are not granted access to a student’s records without their student’s permission.
However, it is still common for us to communicate student health concerns with a parent. Many of our students request that we discuss their diagnostic and treatment options with a parent before proceeding with their care, and we are happy to do so.
Students may provide consent for the release of this information by use of a signed Release of Information Form or, when present at an office visit, verbally. Information released will be limited to that pertaining to a specific diagnosis or that office visit. Generally, blanket releases of information are not permitted.
Students may request a copy of their own medical records by following the request guidelines on the medical records page.
Emergency Contact Information
It is essential for students to list with the university and the Student Health Center a reliable emergency contact who can be contacted in the event of a medical emergency, especially one wherein the student is unable to communicate their wishes and wherein further assistance with immediate medical decision-making is required. This emergency contact information is updated by the SHC each semester during a student’s office visit or otherwise as needed by the student.
Power of Attorney for Health Care Affairs (Medical POA)
A Power of Attorney (POA) for Health Care Affairs is not required by the SHC. However, students who have granted a POA for Health Care affairs to a personal representative should provide a copy of the POA to the SHC to upload to their medical records, and their chart will be flagged accordingly.
While some parents elect to have a POA for Health Care Affairs for their students, most do not. Many are concerned that having a POA for their student could dissuade the student from seeking needed care for a medical issue of which they may prefer their parent not be aware.
Questions regarding the necessity and use of a POA for your student should be directed to your attorney.
Refund Policy
Returns or payment refunds must be approved in writing by the Student Health Center Business Office. Refund requests must be made in writing and may be mailed to the Student Health Center, Attention: Business Office, 1800 Volunteer Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37996-3102, or emailed to [email protected].
Following approval by the Student Health Center Business Office, a memo will be forwarded to the University Bursar’s office. The Bursar’s office will determine whether the student has outstanding university debts before any refund may be issued. The refund will not include the 2.75% charged by the processing vendor. A refund will be made in one of the three following manners:
- If the student’s bursar account shows a university debt, the approved refund amount will be applied to the university debt.
- The approved amount will be refunded to a student’s bursar account if there is no outstanding university debt. If the student has a direct deposit linked to their MyUTK account, the refunded money will refund into the linked bank account.
- If the student does not have a direct deposit linked with their bursar account, a check will be prepared and mailed to the address on file.
Student Employment and Shadowing Policies
Clinical Shadowing at the SHC
The Student Health Center has very limited availability for clinical shadowing. Interested students should email [email protected] for information.
Student Employment at the SHC
Periodically, certain clinical and administrative positions at the SHC may be available for student employment. Students must meet the criteria for employment as outlined in the job description, as well as maintain any required certifications or licensing required for the position. Any currently open student positions will be advertised on Handshake or with Federal Work Study.
As an educational institution, we permit professional students in public health, kinesiology, and other health care related fields to have clinical rotations or internships arranged by their respective programs. Students in non health care related fields may reach out to inquire about internships.
Professional program representatives may contact the Student Health Center to discuss the availability of rotations and internships, and the requirements for educational activity agreements.
Translation & Interpretation Services Policy
Cost free language assistance is available for use by patients with limited English proficiency. Cost free interpretation services are available for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. When scheduling your appointment by phone and when presenting to the Student Health Center in person, please inform our staff if these services are needed.