Health Promotion Services

Our mission is enhancing quality of life by promoting wellness and fostering a vibrant campus community for student success. In collaboration with the USF community, Health Promotion Services staffs promote a culture of healthy lifestyles, reasonable health messages, harm reduction tips, and the development of a more humane and safer environment not only on campus but also in the world. For a full list of health promotion services, educational materials and resources available to students, including relevant policies and requirements, please visit www.usfca.edu/hps.

Health Promotion Initiatives

We seek to build capacity in individuals, groups, and the entire campus community to improve individual and community health. Our work is based on a public health model that focuses on assessing student health risks and assets, analyzing national and local data, and using evidence-based best practices and national standards to design appropriate initiatives for the USF student population.

Some examples of health promotion initiatives at USF include:

• Collecting data about student health issues with surveys and focus groups
• Leading coalitions to address issues such as tobacco use, violence and alcohol abuse
• Facilitating training for peer educators, resident assistants, and other groups
• Developing and disseminating social marketing campaigns
• Presenting research and data about student health to campus and community stakeholders
• Reviewing and recommending policy that relates to student health

USF Student Health Data

HPS regularly assesses student health needs and assets using a variety of college-appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods. Our goal is to collect a local data set of health factors that impact academic performance and retention. Data is used to generate incidence rates for a variety of health issues on campus, identify protective and risk factors to academic performance, allocate resources, and design prevention initiatives.

USF Student Health Clinic

USF contracts with St. Mary’s Medical Center (SMMC) to manage the USF Student Health Clinic located at located 450 Stanyan St., 2 West (Second Floor) in St. Mary’s Medical Center. USF students are eligible to use the health services at the USF Student Health Clinic regardless of their health insurance plan. A valid USF student ID must be presented before receiving health services. Health services that are offered by nurse practitioners include the treatment of acute and episodic illness and minor injuries, such as:

• Treatment of upper-respiratory problems, upper and lower gastrointestinal problems, and urinary-tract infections
• Treatment of some skin conditions
• Evaluation and treatment of seasonal allergies
• Screening and management of many sexually transmitted infections
• Immunization and testing of some communicable diseases
• Referrals to specialists or outside services if needed
• Annual gynecological exam (Pap smear)

The USF Student Health Clinic does not provide birth-control contraceptives or devices.

There is no charge associated with clinic visits; a fee may be incurred, however, if laboratory or radiology tests are needed to evaluate students’ health concerns. The following services are offered at St. Mary's Medical Center but the student or his/her insurance carrier will be responsible for the fees: emergency room care, lab tests, x-ray, hospitalization, SMMC physician’s visits, and immunizations.

The student health clinic operating hours (major holidays excluded):

• Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
• Closed for lunch (12 noon – 1 PM)
• Closed Saturdays and Sundays.

Students can call (415) 750-4980 in the morning to schedule same day appointment. Students will be accommodated on a first come, first serve basis. Please check www.usfca.edu/hps for detailed information on USF Student Health Clinic.

Campus Wide Health Requirements

Student Health Insurance
As a condition of enrollment, the University of San Francisco requires certain groups of students to have health insurance, both to protect against unexpected high medical costs and provide access to quality care. The following groups of students are required to have health insurance:

• All undergraduate domestic students registered for 9 credit hours or more (excluding regional campuses, visiting students, and professional students in the School of Management)
• All international students and scholars registered for at least 1 credit hour (this includes undergraduate, graduate, law, and non-degree students)
• All students who reside in University-operated housing (including undergraduate, graduate, law, and non-degree students)

Required students will be automatically enrolled in and billed for the University-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan. Students who are able to prove that they have coverage comparable (equal or better) to the University-sponsored plan under a United States-domiciled health insurance company may waive this requirement each academic year. Domestic students may waive this requirement online at www.usfca.edu/hps.

International students and scholars must waive it in person at the Health Promotion Services office (UC 5th Floor) to ensure that their health insurance policy meets the minimum insurance requirement established by University of San Francisco and United States federal government regulations.

Students are expected to maintain comparable health insurance coverage at all times during their waiver period. However, if a student’s health coverage is dropped, it is the student’s responsibility to contact Health Promotion Services to discuss his/her options.

The waiver is an annual one if the student waives the health insurance beginning in the Fall semester. However, students waiving beginning Spring semester must waive again in the Fall semester. Students who have waived the plan in a given year or semester, they are eligible to re-enroll in the USF-sponsored health plan for the following semester. These students must contact Health Promotion Service office to re-enroll in the USF sponsored health plan.

If the waiver is approved, the student’s account will be credited accordingly. If the online waiver is denied, students should send a waiver appeal that can be found on www.usfca.edu/hps.

Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate professional students in the School of Management, Regional campuses students, and visiting students are not are not automatically enrolled in and not billed for the University-sponsored health plan. Students registered for at least 9 units in an undergraduate program can elect to purchase the University-sponsored health insurance plan online at www.usfca.edu/hps.

Graduate Students
Graduate and professional students who reside in University-operated housing are not automatically enrolled in and not billed for the University-sponsored health plan. These students must purchase the coverage or apply for a waiver in order to comply with the USF health insurance policy.

Students registered for at least 6 units in a graduate program (including the School of Law) can elect to purchase the University-sponsored health insurance plan online at www.usfca.edu/hps
USF health insurance requirement plan benefits, online waiver request form, waiver periods, and deadlines are published at www.usfca.edu/hps. For further information, please contact Health Promotion Services (HPS) at hps@usfca.edu or 415.422.5797.

Summer Students
Students who commence their enrollment in the summer session are not automatically enrolled in and not billed for the University-sponsored health plan. These students must purchase the coverage for the summer session or apply for a waiver in order to comply with the USF health insurance policy.

More Information
USF health insurance requirement, plan benefits, online waiver request form, waiver periods, and deadlines are published at www.usfca.edu/hps. For further information, please contact Health Promotion Services (HPS) at hps@usfca.edu or 415.422.5797.

Immunization Requirement

The University of San Francisco requires evidence of two sets of MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) immunization for students in the following categories:

• All international students and scholars
• Domestic undergraduate students born on or after January 1, 1957 (excluding Working Adult Professional Studies/Legacy CPS)
• Domestic graduate students born on or after January 1, 1957 living on campus

International students and Scholars are also required to show proof of Tuberculosis PPD (Mantoux) test administered in the last 12 months. Students with positive PPD are required to submit a chest x-ray administered within the last 12 months.

Note: Nursing students must submit their immunization requirement to the School of Nursing and Health Professions not Health Promotion Services. The School of Nursing and Health Professions will notify you via email regarding the full list of the Nursing immunization requirements. For more information on School of Nursing and Health Professions immunization requirement, please visit https://www.usfca.edu/nursing.

Evidence of Immunization

Proof of immunization must be obtained from a licensed medical professional using the USF immunization Form. Records such as Immunization Yellow card or high school transcript showing immunization are also accepted. Please submit the proof of immunization to Health Promotion Services by fax (+1 (888) 471-2290), email (hps@usfca.edu), or by mail to University of San Francisco, Health Promotion Services, UC Fifth Floor, 2130 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
USA. All immunization records must be in English.

Think About It: Online alcohol, other drugs and sexual violence prevention course

Think About It is a required, science-based online course that prepares incoming college students for the unique challenges and responsibilities of college life. Recognizing that the issues of drug and alcohol abuse, the hookup culture, sexual violence, and healthy relationships are all connected, the program examines these topics in social, cultural, and personal contexts that advocate self-reflection and the pursuit of social justice. USF requires all new first-year and transfer undergraduate students to take Think About It for college before coming to campus.

New first-year and transfer undergraduate students will receive an email with instructions to take the course. The email will be sent to student’s USFconnect email address. Students who fail to successfully complete the course will be fined $50. For more information please visit www.usfca.edu/hps.