HSIP


PLEASE NOTE: Information for Health Sciences students who entered their Seattle campus programs in 2010 or earlier can be found under Annual TB Screening Requirement (below), Reimbursement Procedures (below), and BloodBorne Pathogens Exposure (see separate website section). These students paid a combined administrative and comprehensive clinical service health fee in their first program year. Clinical services will be provided to this cohort of students until completion of their 2 or 4 year program, or the end of the 2014 academic year, whichever comes sooner. Students continuing past 2014 will be charged an annual health fee as described in the Health Fee section.

INFORMATION FOR ENTERING HEALTH SCIENCES STUDENTS AT

THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

You are starting your career as a health professional when you are accepted as a student in a University of Washington (UW) Health Sciences (HS) school/program. During your course work and training, as well as your future health care career, you may be in close contact with clients and patients who are ill. You may be at high risk for certain infections and if you are ill you may pose a high risk to vulnerable client and patient populations with whom you work. 
 
Completion and documentation of all Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) recommended Health Care Personnel (HCP) immunizations and testing for tuberculosis (PPD or IGRA) are mandatory requirements for your safety and the safety of the clients and patients you will serve.  
 
The UW students in Health Sciences schools/programs must submit an online form along with copies of supporting documents (such as lab reports of titer results) to myshots@uw.edu . Please be sure to choose the correct form (see forms section) for your campus, i.e. Bothell , Tacoma or Seattle. Many questions about the requirements are addressed on the forms. Please also see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section of this website, and Required Immunizations (below). 
 
If you have records of immunization at another facility, such as UWMC, Hall Health, or a hospital employee health clinic, it is your responsibility to obtain a copy of those records, scan and submit with the form, which must be signed by a health professional.
 
The UW Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP)
  • Reviews all submitted documentation for completeness,
  • Enters the information into a secure occupational web-based, password protected database,
  • Reports each student’s compliance status to their school/program
  • Places a hold on the registration of any student who has not met the requirements. 

Seattle Campus only

  • Provides annual PPD skin tests for tuberculosis
  • provides annual influenza vaccine, required by many clinical and practicum sites and some HS schools/programs.
  • Provides counseling for positive PPD conversion
  • Provides counseling, testing and treatment for Blood Borne Pathogen (BBP) exposure after student's insurance is billed   
All required documentation is to be received by HSIP at least 2 months prior to the first day of classes.  For students entering clinical or practicum sites in summer quarter at the start of the program, information must be submitted as soon as possible (preferably 1 month prior to the start of classes) to allow adequate time for HSIP to review documentation and submit compliance reports to the school.
Students who have not had time to complete the requirements for hepatitis B will need to complete this requirement by Autumn (for Summer entry) or Winter (for Autumn entry) quarter. HSIP will track the progress of completing this requirement.   Students who have not been able to complete the other requirements will be handled on a case by case basis.  Registration is held if the student fails to stay on track in meeting these requirements.

HEALTH FEE
The administrative and clinical service costs of the HSIP are supported by an annual HEALTH FEE of approximately $110 to $135 (2012-2013 school year) that is attached to every Seattle Campus student’s tuition account beginning with entry into their HS school/program. The fee recurs on the student’s tuition account each year as long as they remain in their HS school/program. Students in fields of study or clinical or practicum service with high risk to Blood Borne Pathogens pay a higher fee than students who are deemed to be low risk. Students at the Bothell and Tacoma campuses do not receive clinical or blood borne pathogen exposure services. They pay an annual administrative-only HEALTH FEE of approximately $70 (2012-2013 school year). Tuition and Fees have not yet been approved for 2013-14. It is expected that the health fee will increase for the 2013-14 school year, if fee increases are approved; the amount needed to meet program costs is still being determined.
 
Beginning with Autumn Quarter 2012, students submitting incomplete documentation or late documentation (past the end of the entry quarter) may be subject to additional fees.
 
The University of Washington strongly recommends that you purchase health insurance coverage as becoming ill during your academic career can be very expensive. Health Science students are not considered employees while they are engaging in education-related activities at clinical sites. Practicum and clinical training, involving real clients and patients, can begin as soon as your first quarter.

Should injury or exposure to illness occur during a clinical rotation, insurance coverage, either via a family member or a policy such as the UW Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan, is recommended to cover the care you may need that is not covered by the Health Fee’s blood borne pathogen program, or included with your quarterly Services and Activity Fee.

 
 
All HS students must meet an annual TB screening requirement after their admission and fulfillment of the initial required immunizations. Students are required to have a yearly TB skin test, IGRA (interferon gamma release assay) blood test, or symptom review (for those with a positive TB test) in order to maintain compliance after entry. Students who wish to obtain the IGRA test must do so at their own expense and will not be reimbursed for it by HSIP. HSIP provides annual TB skin testing clinics for students on the Seattle campus at dates and times arranged by their school/program. HSIP will place a hold on the registration of any student who has not met the annual TB screening requirement within required time frames.
 
Continuing students should submit IGRA test results (or documentation of TB testing done at outside providers) to myshots@uw.edu.
 
Continuing students with previously positive TB skin tests should send answers to the following questions to myshots@uw.edu
 
TB SYMPTOM SURVEY
Please explain any YES answers. This is with regards to the past year:
1. Cough lasting > 3 weeks?
2. Fever?
3. Night sweats?
4. Weight loss (unexplained)?
5. Malaise/Fatigue (unrelated to being a student)?
6. Bloody sputum?
7. Chest pain?
 
Students who have questions about their compliance status after admission or questions about achieving and maintaining annual compliance should contact the HSIP staff at:
 
Phone: 206-616-9074
E-mail: myshots@u.washington.edu
 
ANNUAL INFLUENZA VACCINE
 
Some schools/programs require their students to be vaccinated against influenza. Medical, Nursing, Nutrition, Pharmacy, OT, Med Tech, Medex and Speech and Hearing Students are among those expected to receive influenza vaccine. Even if your program does not require a flu shot, it is important to know that many of the area hospitals and clinics expect students assigned there for clinical placements to show proof of having received an annual immunization for flu.
WAIVERS: If you are in a school/program that requires flu vaccine but have a MEDICAL contraindication to receiving it, you will need to submit an annual statement from a provider explaining the need for a medical waiver. We have created a form for this purpose entitled 2012 Influenza Letter for Provider. The same form can also be used to document influenza vaccine received from an outside provider. Documentation of flu vaccine received from outside providers, or waiver letters, should be scanned and emailed to myshots@uw.edu
 
 
Students who have paid the Health Fee are eligible to receive reimbursement for annual flu shots and TB tests for which they have personally paid, or bloodborne pathogen (BBP) exposure-related expenses, if certain conditions are met.
 
To be eligible for flu vaccine or TB test (PPD) reimbursement: 
  1. Students must receive services outside the Seattle area due to clinical assignment or WWAMI participation, and therefore not be able to come to HSIP-scheduled clinics at the time services are required.
  2. Reimbursement is not available if services could have been received in Seattle during the required time frame but are received elsewhere at student’s convenience.
  3. Reimbursement is NOT available for services received in Seattle at locations other than those scheduled and operated by the HSIP, such as  the “offsite clinics” at South Campus Center (220 C-D).
     
For the 2013-14 school year the reimbursement schedule is:

    A. TB skin test (PPD-Mantoux)             $25.00 (max)
    B. Seasonal Influenza Immunization     $25.00 (max)
 
The HSIP Student Request for Reimbursement form must be completed and submitted with receipts/proof of payment to receive reimbursement for TB tests or influenza immunizations. Please refer to the reimbursement form for complete instructions. Documentation of the TB test or influenza immunization must also be sent to HSIP for inlcusion in the student's record prior to payment processing. The preferred method of submission is by email attachment to myshots@uw.edu
 
To be eligible for BBP exposure reimbursement:
All students need to print and have available a copy of the current BBP post-exposure protocol entitled“Approved Laboratory Testing Schedule for Reimbursement” as the services listed are the only ones reimbursed. It is the student’s responsibility to produce the UW protocol to any provider who is seen outside of Seattle. For more information about “What to do after a BBP exposure”, see the BBP Exposure section.
 
HSIP must receive the reimbursement request within 60 days of the BBP exposure incident. If billing information or receipts are not available within this time frame then HSIP must still be notified of the incident and the student's intent to request reimbursement within 60 days of the BBP exposure. Beginning 4/15/13, requests outside this timeframe will not be processed.

 
Students who have questions about being reimbursed for expenses related to BBP exposures should contact Jim W. Ponder, Campus Health Services Administration staff at: 
 
Phone: 206-221-4610
E-mail: jwponder@uw.edu

REQUIRED IMMUNIZATIONS:  
Documentation of immunity to each of the following diseases is REQUIRED. Compliance is achieved by submitting  the required form for your campus along with supporting documentation, as directed per the form, to myshots@uw.edu
 
MMR: MEASLES (RUBEOLA); MUMPS; and RUBELLA (GERMAN MEASLES) 
MEASLES (RUBEOLA): TWO doses of measles-containing vaccine (Measles; Measles-Rubella; or Measles-Mumps-Rubella) regardless of birthdate, OR a positive antibody titer. The vaccine doses must have been received on or after 12 months of age and at least one month apart. They must also have been live virus vaccines received after 1/01/68 given without Immune Globulin. MMR must have been received in 1971 or later.
MUMPS: TWO doses of mumps-containing vaccine regardless of birthdate OR a positive antibody titer. The vaccine doses must have been received on or after the age of 12 months and at least one month apart. Mumps alone must have been live virus vaccine received after 1/01/80.
RUBELLA (GERMAN MEASLES): ONE dose of rubella-containing vaccine on or after 12 months of age OR a positive antibody titer.
HEPATITIS B: THREE doses of vaccine AND a positive Hepatitis B surface antibody titer meets the requirement. Students who have just started the series should indicate they are “in process” and forward documentation of further doses and titer results as soon as available.  Other documentation (such as laboratory evidence of history of disease) may also be accepted. Further information about the Hepatitis B requirement (such as information for non-responders or those with history of disease) is found on the required immunizations form.
 
TETANUS-DIPHTHERIA-PERTUSSIS: A Primary childhood (verbal or documented history acceptable) or adult series with DTaP/ DTP/DT/Td AND a booster with Tdap which became available in the US in June 2005, is required. NOTE: Td is a different vaccine, and does not substitute for Tdap. Titers are NOT an acceptable alternative for Tdap vaccine. 
 
VARICELLA: TWO doses of varicella-containing vaccine given on or after 12 months of age and at least one month apart OR a positive antibody titer.
History of disease is NOT an acceptable alternative for this program. Only the vaccine or titer will meet requirements.

 
TUBERCULOSIS SCREENING: Each campus has different entry screening requirements. Please refer to the form for your specific campus for details and follow the instructions carefully to be sure that you will meet the requirements. Most Seattle campus students will have a 2-step skin test prior to entry. They also receive an additional PPD skin test at the time of orientation as defined by their program or school. This will satisfy the “2-step test” requirements for clinical sites and will also place all students due for their annual PPD at the same time. A single IGRA (interferon gamma release assay) blood test result from three months prior to the start of Autumn quarter may be submitted as a substitute for negative TB skin testing.  
 
HISTORY OF DOCUMENTED POSITIVE TB TEST: If you have had a positive TB skin test or IGRA in the past you do not need another test. However, we need the date and result of your positive test. If documentation is not available, provider verification of (verbal) history is acceptable. A chest x-ray report must be submitted for any student identified as having a positive PPD or IGRA. The x-ray will need to be within the PAST YEAR unless you can provide the dates of a course of completed prophylactic treatment. Provider verification of treatment history is acceptable.             
 
ALL students with a history of positive TB test must complete a TB symptom review at admission and yearly thereafter. The admission symptom review is found on this website (for Seattle students), and it is also at the bottom of the 3rd page on the Required Immunizations form for Bothell and Tacoma students. The annual symptom review is completed by returning to this website each year while you remain in your program and completing the TB Symptom Survey questions, then emailing the answers to myshots@uw.edu.  

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