The Student Health Center and Pharmacy (SHCP) is ready to be your medical home away from home and can address any health care needs you have. You can schedule an appointment by accessing the SHCP Patient Portal on the myBama student page or by calling 205-348-2778. To avoid unnecessary SHCP charges on your student account, please ensure your current health insurance card is uploaded on the Portal before a SHCP visit and for vaccination and testing. For questions, please call 205-348-6262
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Women’s Health Care
Women’s Health Care provides routine annual exams, pelvic exams, breast exams, pap smears, contraception, treatment of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy testing and counseling. These services, well and sick, are by appointment only. The SHCP has two full-time nurse practitioners for women’s health. Students can schedule an appointment by calling 205-348-2778 or by accessing the SHCP Patient Portal on the myBama student page.
Allergy Clinic
The Allergy Clinic administers allergy injections to students under the direction of their allergist. The SHCP does not administer allergy tests. Allergy injections are by appointment only after the student receives approval from a SHCP provider. To schedule an appointment, call 205-348-2778.
Nutrition Clinic
Registered dietitians provide individual nutrition counseling in a variety of areas, including improving current eating habits, weight management, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, eating disorders, and wellness, sport and performance nutrition. Nutrition appointments include a full nutrition assessment, body composition analysis and an individualized meal plan. This service is not covered by insurance and fees associated with treatment will be billed to the student’s account. Patients can call the SHCP for current rates. Students are seen by appointment, which can be scheduled by calling 205-348-2778 or by accessing the Patient Portal in the student’s MyBama account.
Dermatology Clinic
Our Dermatology Clinic is limited in scope, so please take a moment to look over some the services that we do NOT provide:
- Isotretinoin (AKA, Accutane)
- Biologic medications (injections, topicals, oral medications).
- Surgical excisions and cosmetic corrections (including keloid/scar management).
- Intralesional steroid injections.
- Nail removal.
- Aesthetics and laser procedures.
- Hair loss is not covered by most insurance policies, including United Health Care Student Resources. (If you choose to be seen for this, you will be responsible for the cost of services.)
- Hirsutism (abnormal hair growth on face/body) may also not be covered by most insurance policies. If this is a concern for you, please schedule an appointment with a Women’s Health Provider.
- Contraceptives are not prescribed by the Dermatology Clinic. Please schedule an appointment with a Women’s Health Provider.
If you are interested in any of the above services, we will be happy to assist you with a referral.
Psychiatry
SHCP psychiatrists and nurse practitioners provide evaluations and assist with medications on a referral basis. Referrals are needed from the SHCP, UA Counseling Center and your primary physician or a mental health professional. This service is by appointment only. Call 205-348-8262 to schedule an appointment. If there is no answer, leave a message on the confidential voice mail system and you will receive a call back. If your call is urgent, please call the SHCP at 205-348-6262. Before your first visit, all records and SHCP documents must be received for you to be evaluated by a psychiatrist to determine if further testing is required. For your initial visit, bring your insurance card to the appointment. Because of the many insurance plans and varying coverage, we will provide billing services and process your insurance claims. If you do not have health insurance, UA offers several payment options. We will work with each student individually to assure access to psychiatric care. Any charges for visits will be applied directly to your student account. It is important that each student communicate his or her financial situation, if needed.
For students who have previously been diagnosed with ADHD, ongoing medication management is available once the required documentation of previous diagnostic testing and treatment has been received. Students who have never been tested or diagnosed with ADHD can contact the SHCP Behavioral Health Office for a list of community providers for testing and diagnosis. Once that is done and the results of the testing have been received, students can receive medication management with a SHCP psychiatrist. The SHCP’s ADHD evaluation for current or enrolling students is comprised of multiple activities. These activities typically include a clinical interview with the student, a brief interview with the student’s parent/guardian, review of reports from previous evaluations, review of educational records (transcripts, report cards) and completion of a variety of assessments. The actual assessment portion includes rating scales, attention performance measures, intellectual tests and emotional screeners.
Immunizations
We offer most adult vaccinations as well as those for travel.
X-Ray
The SHCP offers X-ray services through University Medical Center (UMC), which is located in the same building as the SHCP, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of your illness or injury. These services are available during normal hours of operation. The Department of Radiology at UMC is staffed with registered radiology technicians. All images are read by radiologists from The Radiology Clinic of Tuscaloosa. General radiographic studies are performed and can be filed on the student’s insurance or charged to the student’s account. The cost of an X-ray is dependent on the X-ray and the number of views taken. X-ray services not available at UMC can be referred to an outside facility.
Lab
The SHCP lab offers a variety of in-house tests that assist in the diagnosis and treatment of most illnesses, and it can refer tests of almost any type to an outside facility. We provide testing for: strep throat, urinary tract infections, cholesterol and lipids, mononucleosis, pregnancy, STIs and vaginal infections, diabetes, routine and employment physicals, EKG, heart irregularities, H. Pylori for peptic ulcer disease, anemia, leukemia and other hematological diseases, and influenza. The lab is accredited by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA). Laboratory testing beyond the scope of the lab is referred out to LabCorp for processing. Our laboratory is under the leadership of an ASCP certified Medical Technologist and is staffed by Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists.
HIV Testing (Confidential)
The SHCP offers confidential HIV antibody testing (anonymous is not available in Alabama).
Travel Medications
If you are studying abroad or going on an overseas trip, we can provide you with medication(s) that will help protect you from illness. We also provide immunizations that you may need (Typhoid, Polio, Yellow Fever, and Hepatitis A and B). You should plan to be seen at least four weeks before you travel. To utilize these services, please schedule an appointment specifically for this purpose by calling 205-348-2778. Prior to this appointment, please download and complete the Travel Service Planned Itinerary Form (PDF). We also recommend that you visit CDC Travelers’ Health and specifically look at Region, Outbreaks, Safe Food and Water, and Cruise Ships and Air Travel.
Referrals
SHCP providers are available to evaluate and treat injuries, acute and chronic conditions, and gynecology issues. If the condition is beyond their scope, our Referral Office will work with students to arrange an appointment with local specialists in the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham areas.
Although our providers can assist with minimal dental assessment, we do not offer dental services; therefore, patients can be referred to a local dentist or oral surgeon.
The UA Referral Office can be contacted at 205-348-1685.
If students are seeking a continuation of care for a chronic condition, it is advised that they have copies of their pertinent medical records in their possession.
For students with the UA sponsored health insurance plan, BlueCross and BlueShield of Alabama, a referral is required for specialty visits outside of the SHCP. A student must be seen by a SHCP provider to initiate a referral.