Before Your Student Comes to FSU...

1. Become familiar with our Appointment Policy and our Directory of Services.
2. Confirm your student has the proper Immunizations.
3. Be sure to complete the Health History Form with your student. The form can be found online by clicking here.
4. Make sure both you and your student understand the Confidentiality Policy.
5. Find out the proper Insurance Information.
6. Know our Hours of Operation & Important Phone Numbers.
7. Know what to do if your student requires After-Hours Medical Care.
8. Learn about the Payment Policies at Thagard.
9. Put together a First-Aid Kit for your student.

(1) Appointment Policy

Visits to clinics are by appointment only. To make an appointment call 644-4567. If your student requires urgent care, we will allow a walk-in and see him or her. Remember, if experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911. Students should arrive 10-15 minutes early to appointments. We have a lot of students to serve and if a student is late, his or her appointment may be cancelled. Also, patients who miss appointments without calling prior to appointment time may be charged a "no-show" fee.

To take advantage of TSHC services, students must be currently enrolled at FSU.A one semester window is available to former students. This window closes at close of business the day prior to the subsequent semester beginning. Once the new semester begins, if not enrolled, you will need to find another health care provider.

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Directory of Services

• Allergy Clinic (850) 644-9492
  Delivers and monitors allergy injections provided by an outside physician.

• HIV Clinic (850) 644-8871
  Provides anonymous HIV testing and counseling services. The results of HIV tests performed through this clinic are not recorded in the patient's medical files.

• Gold Clinic (Primary Care) (850) 644-8463
  Responds to a wide variety of medical problems, provides routine physical examinations, confidential testing for sexually transmitted diseases and foreign travel consultation.

• Garnet Clinic (Primary Care) (850) 644-9496
  Provides treatment for severe illness, minor trauma, and elective minor procedures. Responsible for evening and Saturday clinic hours of operation.

• Women's Clinic (850) 644-5255
  Offers annual gynecological examinations and on-going care, plus confidential, compassionate testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and follow-up care for sexual assault victims.

• Nutrition Services (850) 644-8871
  Offers counseling on healthy eating habits, fitness, weight management, and issues related to eating disorders and body image.

• Physical Therapy (850) 644-0570
  Services are provided for a fee by Tallahassee Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy. Student discounts are offered for general orthopedic physical therapy services with a physician's referral.

• Psychiatric Services (850) 644-0579
  Psychiatric services are available to students with a physician's referral.

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(2) Immunizations

Two Measles vaccinations (Rubeola) and one German Measles (Rubella) are required for all students. In addition, students must either have immunizations for meningococcal meningitis and Hepatitis B or decline them by signing a waiver after information regarding the diseases is reviewed. Documentation of immunizations is required on the Health History Form. Please ensure it is signed by the appropriate medical personnel and includes their license number or office stamp with address. More information on immunizations is available here.

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(3) Health History Form

Be sure to complete the Health History Form with your student. The form can be found online by clicking here (pdf).

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(4) Confidentiality Policy

Health center personnel understand parent concern about students, but for students over 18, we are legally bound to respect students' rights to confidentiality. All medical records at Thagard are strictly confidential. Information cannot be released to anyone (not even parents) unless your student provides written consent. This consent must be provided for each incident, visit, or illness. In accordance with state and federal regulations, there is no "blanket" consent (one signed form good for the year) available. If necessary, we will contact the student to ask his/her permission and ask him/her to sign a release.

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(5) Insurance Information

If your student is on your insurance policy, it is important to find out whether your coverage extends to the Tallahassee area. Also, can he or she be seen by a Tallahassee provider for illness or are only emergencies covered? If your student does not have adequate insurance coverage, consider purchasing the university-sponsored plan for accident and illness coverage. Be sure your student carries his or her insurance card with them at all times. Thagard Health Center currently accepts only Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield as payment for services (we are in negotiations with others). For all other policies, claims for reimbursement are filed as out-of-network with the student’s insurance company. Students who do not have insurance will be asked to pay for charges at the time of service or defer them to their student financial account. If the insurance company does not reimburse us, the student will be billed for charges the policy doesn’t cover. For more information on deferments and insurance related to health center fees and payments click here.

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(6) Hours of Operation

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Important Phone Numbers

Once your student is here at FSU, if you have a pressing question regarding your student's health, please feel free to contact one of our administrators:

Lesley Sacher, Thagard Student Health Center Director
lsacher@admin.fsu.edu

Barbara Childers, Thagard Student Health Center Director of Nursing
bchilders@admin.fsu.edu

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(7) After-Hours Medical Care

Services provided by outside clinics and emergency rooms are at your own expense. After hours, students should be directed to local walk-in clinics for non-emergency care. They are less expensive and the waiting time is generally shorter than emergency room services. In the case of a real medical emergency, students are directed to call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

The following is a list of local medical facilities and their addresses and phone numbers.

* Hours of operation may change so please call for current information.

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(8) Payment Policies

Thagard accepts cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, FSU Card, and deferments to your student account for medical services performed at the health center. Thagard will bill your insurance (university sponsored or otherwise) for these services if provided with the insurance card at the time of visit. Please note that any unpaid portion not covered by your insurance company will be billed to you through your student account.

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(9) First-Aid Kit

Include band-aids, anti-bacterial cream, a thermometer, common over-the-counter cold and pain medication (also available for purchase at the Thagard Pharmacy). Include our appointment phone number (644-4567) so they can call for an appointment if they need something more than the first-aid kit!

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Again, we welcome your student to FSU and hope they will have a productive and enjoyable college experience. Remember that Thagard is a ready and willing partner to help your student achieve his or her academic goals.