Student Self Care Guide

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT:  Swine Flu

Framingham State College is closely monitoring swine flu developments locally nationally and internationally.  To find out more information, you can use the links below to Centers for Disease Control and Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

www.cdc.gov/swineflu             www.mass.gov/blog/publichealth

You can stay healthy and reduce disease transmission by:

·        Washing your hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

·        Practicing good ”cough etiquette” by sneezing into a tissue or into your elbow instead of your hands.

·        Avoid contact with sick people.

·        Stay home or in your dorm if you get sick to avoid infecting others.

Mission Statement

Good Health is a vital component of every student’s college experience and is essential for academic success.  The mission of Health Services is to support students in the achievement of their educational goals by empowering them to attain and maintain an optimal level of physical and emotional health through education, consultation, assessment and treatment.  Health Services functions as the primary care provider for both resident and commuter students while they are on campus.  The professional staff at FSC Health Services is committed to offering high quality, confidential medical care to all students.  We maintain an on-going collaboration with college faculty, administration, staff, students and the medical community.  We also provide programs and services that give students the tools to develop healthful lifestyles. 

General Information

Health Services is located in the Health and Wellness Center in Foster Hall on the corner of State Street and Maynard Road.  We are open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday when classes are in session.  We function primarily as a walk-in clinic but we do schedule appointments for physical exams and gynecological exams.  We can provide services that you obtain from your primary care provider at home.  If there is need for further testing or treatment , we will refer you to the Emergency room or to a specialist’s office.  We encourage you to visit the Health Center to discuss any concerns or questions you  have about your health.  We provide health education materials for you on a variety of topics.

 

POLICY REGARDING “SICK NOTES” FOR CLASS ABSENCE

Framingham State College Health Services does not provide “sick notes” for students to professors due to brief absences from class due to illness.  We encourage students to communicate directly with their professors about their absences.  This is meant to foster mature communication between student and professor, as well as encourage personal responsibility for class attendance decisions.

We strongly encourage students and faculty to stay out of class and other group gatherings when ill with a contagious illness (other than a routine “cold.”)  Social distancing, “cough etiquette,” limitation of hand-shaking and excellent hand-washing are important strategies especially during flu season. We encourage faculty to consider absences in this context to be appropriate and preferable to students attending class while ill.

In the event of an anticipated absence of 3 or more consecutive days, or in the event of a communicable disease which necessitates class absence for public health reasons, students  should contact the Dean of Students’ office who will facilitate notification of faculty.

Department publishing Web site:

Framingham State College
Student Health Services
Foster Hall, 100 State Street
Framingham, MA 01710

Webmaster:

Marianne Wilson
Last revision: June 2009