Health Services

Allergy injections are administered at Health Services. To participate in this service, students should bring their allergy serum and physician's orders for the administration of the allergy injections to the allergy clinic. Tdap, Td Boosters, MMR, PPD, Hepatitis B, Gardasil (indicated for males and females) and Flu vaccine are available at a nominal fee from health services.

WCU EMS is a student staffed emergency ambulance service serving the WCU community. All medics are certified EMT's. WCU EMS is supervised by Health Services and WestCare EMS service. This service is in operation 24/7, during Fall and Spring semesters. To obtain EMS assistance dial 828-227-8911.

Consultation and management for all contraceptives are available. Appointments are required for birth control initiation.

Limited laboratory testing is performed at Health Services. For a complete listing of labs and fees please contact UHS.

Nutrition services are available to students and employees of WCU. Consultations and assessments are completed by a Registered Dietitian by referral appointment only.   Scope of care includes disordered eating, food allergies and sensitivities, chronic disease management and weight management.

Comprehensive physical examinations for employment, internships, participation in athletics, etc. are provided. An appointment is required for ALL physicals.

Screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, and Gonorrhea is available at a charge. For more information about other STI test such as Syphilis and HIV please contact Health Services.

• Knowledge of previous health issues, like diabetes and cancer
• Any food or medication allergies
• Past or current conditions like asthma or hypertension
• Any medical conditions of immediate family members
• Any prescriptions you’re taking, including vitamins, birth control, and over the counter

A student health fee is included as one of the fees students pays to the university as a mandatory fee. This fee entitles all current students, who are enrolled in at least six credit hours, to the services provided by the Health Services. Some services may have additional fees, which are due at the time the services are rendered.

Health Services will only file claims with the university supported health insurance plan. A printed receipt will be provided to all patients upon request. You may incur charges from your visit based upon the services your provider feels best meets your needs. Health Services accepts cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and CatCash as payment. If you are unable to pay today, your charges will automatically be placed on your student account and payment for those services can be made at OneStop. Any medical expenses incurred outside of Health Services are the responsibility of the student.

Complete Immunization Records

Each student must provide completed immunization records as required by NC State Law before attending a NC college or university.  Those requirements are listed on the health services immunization page.  Your immunizations MUST be finalized before you can complete your class schedule.

Health Insurance Coverage

Each student is required to have health insurance coverage while enrolled at WCU. The premium charge for the mandatory health plan will be added to your student account as part of tuition and fees.  If you have other health insurance, you can request a waiver and have that charge removed from your student account.

Criteria for mandatory coverage are as follows:

• Student is enrolled in >= 6 semester credit hours
• Student pays the health fee
• Student is in a degree seeking program

For students that meet the above criteria, the university (in accordance with UNC school system policy) provides a student insurance policy. More information about the administration of that policy, policy benefits and premium cost can be found at studenthealthins.wcu.edu .
If you have other health insurance and would like to waive the mandatory UNC system health plan, please visit HOW TO WAIVE and follow the instructions on that website.  After your waiver request has been verified, the premium charge will be removed from your student account.

If you do not have other health insurance coverage you must enroll in the UNC system health plan, please visit HOW TO ENROLL.

If you do not take action regarding waiver or enrollment, you will be automatically enrolled in the UNC system health plan after the waiver process has ended.  Students that wait for the automatic enrollment process will have insurance coverage effective on August 1^st (for Fall enrollees) and January 1^st (for Spring enrollees) BUT may not receive an insurance card until mid-semester.          

When visiting university health services, or any other healthcare provider, there are important pieces of information that you should know about your own medical history.

This may be your first time visiting a physician without a parent, and it is important that you know vital pieces of information about yourself and your health. 

Talk to your parent before coming to school to educate yourself about your health history, and your family’s health history. It’s important to help you receive the best care possible.

Also, remember that the information shared between you and your healthcare provider is protected and confidential; if you have a medical condition of any sort it is crucial that you share that information with your doctor. 

The doctor needs to know critical information to make informed decisions and provide you with an accurate diagnosis.  

Critical things to know:

• Allergies – have you ever had an allergic reaction to 1)any medication  2)any foods, 3)any environmental agents (ie… laundry detergent)
  • If you have had an allergic reaction, what happened? 

• Medications - are you currently taking any prescription or over the counter medications, including vitamins or supplements. 
  • Know the correct name, dosage and frequency of the medication. 

• Medical conditions - do you currently have or have you had in the past any chronic health problems or any history of surgery? 
  • For example, do you have a history of asthma? 
  • Do you have or have you had cancer?
  • What type of surgery have you had? 

• Family History - What types of medical conditions exist in your family? 
  • For example, does your father have a history of high blood pressure or cardiac problems?
  • Does your brother have diabetes?

The answer to these questions often help a physician in treating the patient the most effective way possible and helps avoid any potential dangers to the patients, for instance prescribing an antibiotic that you may have had an allergic reaction to in the past.

General Clinic

• Well or Scheduled Appointments
• Annual Physicals
• Medication Management Appts
• Sick/Walk-In Visits
• Nurse Triage/Nurse Visits
• Non-Invasive Surgical Procedures
• IV Therapy Services
• Inhalation Therapy
• Contraceptive Counseling
• Colposcopy Procedures 

Injection Clinic

• Immunotherapy (Allergy) Serums
• Vaccines and Immunizations
• Therapeutic Injectable Medications

Laboratory Services

• In-House Hematology
• On-site Rapid Diagnostics
• STI Testing
• Sickle Cell Screening
• Collection site for reference testing

Pharmacy Services

• In-House prescription dispensing
• Over the counter retail sales

Nutritional Services

• Medical Nutritional Needs
• Weight Management
• Dietary & Diabetic Counseling
• Disordered Eating

Sick Visits

Sick visits are often considered urgent care appointments and are defined as a sudden onset of symptoms, waking with those symptoms or getting injured.

Health services utilizes a triage process to accommodate walk-in patient’s request for services. Each patient will be seen by an RN for evaluation of severity of symptoms. Based on that assessment, the RN will determine the urgency in which the patient may need to see a provider and will schedule as appropriate based on health services provider's protocols.

The RN will ask you the following questions to help assess your care:

1. What are your symptoms?
2. How long have you experienced these symptoms?
3. Have you taken any medications? 

Check-ups and scheduled visits

Patients now have the ability to schedule an appointment online using the CatHealth Patient Portal for the following:

• routine check-ups or follow up care for ongoing management of medical conditions
• annual physicals, annual pap and gynecology exams
• medication refills and management
• follow up appointments
• health physicals or clearance to participate
• lab orders from outside providers
• medication refills
• STI testing
• illness or injury

Appointments can also be scheduled by calling 828-227-7640.