By Rosanne Fohn

The Employee Health and Wellness Clinic, located in the School of Nursing in Room 1.445, is the UT Health Science Center San Antonio’s designated occupational health clinic.

In addition to comprehensive wellness and health-promotion services for employees, the clinic offers:

• Flu shots, available Oct. 3-31;
  
• Minor occupational injury and illness care for such issues as minor cuts, sprains, falls, and animal bites;
  
• Care for needle sticks;
  
• Tuberculosis screenings, surveillance and prophylactic treatment;
  
• Respirator medical evaluations;
  
• Audiometry and hearing conservation services;
  
• Smoking cessation program;
  
• Healthy weight management;
  
• Annual health exams;
  
• Blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol screenings; and
  
• Referrals for mammograms, colonoscopies and bone-density screenings.

Flu vaccine
Faculty and staff members can get their flu shots at the Employee Health and Wellness Clinic from 8 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday from Oct. 3 through 31, with no appointment needed.

There is no cost to faculty and staff to receive the vaccination. Preventive services under the Affordable Care Act include the vaccine, so the shot will be covered without having to make a co-payment or co-insurance or meet a health insurance deductible when these services are covered by a network provider. However, faculty and staff must present their Health Science Center insurance card in order to receive the vaccine.

If the walk-in times for the flu vaccine are not convenient, employees can call the clinic at 567-2788 to schedule an appointment.

Please read the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Influenza vaccine information sheet prior to receiving the vaccine. Also, please complete and bring the consent form when receiving the vaccine. The consent form, vaccine information sheet and required insurance forms can be found at http://nursing.uthscsa.edu/cpe/ehwc.aspx, on the right under "Events and Information."

The CDC also maintains a website with flu-related guidance for health professions at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/profesionals.

UT Medicine San Antonio will also provide flu shots to employees in October at the Medical Arts and Research Center. Those dates will be announced at a later time.

Health care services at the Employee Health and Wellness Clinic and Student Health Center, both located in the School of Nursing building, are provided by School of Nursing faculty nurse practitioners.
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Care provided by nurse practitioners
Health care services are provided by School of Nursing faculty nurse practitioners including three certified in family health and two with certifications in women’s health. There are also two clinical nurse specialists, one certified in occupational health and the other certified in chronic disease management.

“Our objective is to offer a comprehensive range of primary health care services to employees in cooperation with our colleagues at UT Medicine San Antonio. As UT Medicine San Antonio has already done, the Employee Health and Wellness Clinic adopted the EPIC electronic health records system on July 29. This promotes continuity of care, efficiency and patient safety when employees request a referral,” said Julie Novak, D.N.Sc., RN, M.A., CPNP, FAANP.

Dr. Novak is associate dean for practice and engagement in the School of Nursing. She directs the Employee Health & Wellness Clinic and the Student Health Center next door, as well as the School of Nursing’s clinical enterprise that provides pediatric health services through several community partners.

First-anniversary open house Nov. 15
The Employee Health and Wellness Clinic opened in November 2010 and will celebrate its first anniversary Nov. 15 with healthy snacks and tours from noon to 1 p.m. Since its opening, more than 1,000 patients have been cared for in the clinic. “Our central location across from the university parking office and bookstore is convenient for most employees,” Dr. Novak said. “That access, coupled with high-quality care and a commitment to excellence, are our greatest assets.”

For more information, please visit http://nursing.uthscsa.edu/cpe/ehwc.aspx, or call 567-2788 to make an appointment.