The Juilliard School Health and Counseling Services provides free primary health care and psychological services to all enrolled undergraduate and graduate students at the School. We offer the highest quality of primary care with an emphasis on teaching illness/injury prevention and health promotion. We also try to prepare our students for entering the complex world of health care by educating them to be well-informed consumers.

The Health Services clinic is located on the 22nd floor of the Meredith Willson Residence Hall. It is equipped with two private exam rooms, a laboratory, a state-of-the-art physical therapy facility, and a large waiting room and reception area. The Counseling Service is located on the same floor as the Health Clinic, but it has a separate waiting room and entrance.

The clinic has on staff a full-time licensed physician assistant, a part-time licensed adult nurse practitioner, a certified medical assistant who is also a N.Y.S. certified H.I.V. pre/post-test counselor, an orthopedic surgeon (who specializes in performing-arts medicine), three physical therapists, and an administrative director. Our medical director is an internist who is available for consultation, referral, and hospital admissions 24 hours a day. Our three physical therapists work on-site Monday through Friday at various hours during the academic year, and are also available backstage at dance rehearsals and performances. Each of our physical therapists has extensive experience and training in the special problems presented by performing artists.

Health Services are provided Monday through Friday from 9:20 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the academic year, and 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Mon.- Thurs.) during the summer. Students may see any of our clinical professionals, including our physical therapists, by calling (212) 799-5000, ext. 282, to make an appointment, or they may see our practitioners during our daily walk-in hour (1:30 p.m. -2:30 p.m.) on a first-come-first-serve basis. Physical therapy is also available on a walk-in basis at times posted in the clinic. All clinic medical services are conducted on-site at the School. The clinic serves approximately 50 -60 students each day. If urgent medical needs arise during off-hours or weekends, students and staff may call our medical director who is prepared to give medical advice, or to conduct follow-up for students who have had to go to a N.Y.C. emergency room or hospital.

In addition to the above-mentioned services, Health Services offers free flu shots in the fall, all state-mandated immunizations, hepatitis A and B immunizations (for a small fee), meningicoccal vaccinations and education, tuberculosis testing, H.I.V. testing and pre/post-testing counseling, free condoms (self-serve), and free educational brochures on a broad range of health topics. Students can get annual exams (including gynecological services and tests) done at the clinic, and our clinic laboratory allows us to prepare most specimens required to aid in diagnosis. We have contracted the services of a local laboratory for general specimen analysis, and the services of a specialized pathology lab for all Pap smears and other specimens requiring a pathology report. Students should note that laboratory services provided by outside labs are not free, and that invoices for such services will be sent to students and/or their insurance companies for payment. The clinic often engages interns from local universities who conduct seminars and student and faculty training, and who also offer free one-on-one counseling in nutrition, sexuality, and other personal health and safety areas.

Physical Therapy

The physical therapy service at Juilliard is unique in that students from all of the performing arts disciplines—music, dance, drama, and voice—are treated in one setting. Physical therapy is available to all students on an appointment basis or during scheduled walk-in hours during the week. Appointments are 20 minutes long. Students in all disciplines are encouraged to seek guidance and take preventative measures by scheduling a physical therapy appointment before their injury becomes debilitating. The physical therapy room (located on the 22nd floor of the Willson Residence Hall), is large enough to accommodate several students at one time. It is equipped with modalities such as ultrasound, electro-stimulation and paraffin, a sprung dance floor, Pilates machine, biofeedback device, and an array of exercise apparatus.

Emergencies

The Health Services clinic is not equipped to handle serious medical emergencies. Students may come to the clinic for certain urgent medical care such as sutures, treatment of respiratory distress, and non-life-threatening injury triage. In the event of a medical emergency, students should proceed to the nearest hospital emergency room or call 911 for an ambulance. The hospital emergency room closest to Juilliard is at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, 10th Avenue at 59th Street. Students experiencing emergencies that are psychological in nature may want to consider seeking emergency care at the Payne Whitney Clinic, part of the N.Y.-Presbyterian Hospital, 525 East 68th Street.

Immunizations

New York State law requires all college students to provide the School with documentation of immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella or laboratory evidence of immunity. Juilliard also requires that all students be fully vaccinated against hepatitis B. This is a three-part immunization series that all students must complete by the end of their first year at School, regardless of level of entrance. The State of New York recently enacted a new laws pertaining to vaccination against meningococcal disease. Under this new law, students enrolled in six or more credit hours per semester must demonstrate through medical records that they have received a meningococcal vaccination within the past 10 years. Alternatively, students may sign a waiver of immunization acknowledging their awareness of the risks of failing to be immunized. Students who decide to be immunized should make every effort to get the vaccine administered prior to the student's arrival at School; however it can also be obtained for a fee of $60 at the Health Services Clinic with advance notice. Important: Students who fail to meet immunization requirements will not be able to register for classes. Additionally, the law mandates that no institution should permit any student to attend the institution in excess of 30 days without complying with the meningococcal vaccine requirements.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly contagious bacterial respiratory disease that continues to pose a serious public health risk. In the past few years, certain strains of the bacteria that cause TB have developed resistance to antibiotics. Juilliard requires every incoming student to provide evidence of having had a PPD test (a simple skin test) within six months prior to arrival at School. If the results of the PPD test are positive, the student must have had an x-ray and provide the x-ray report sent to Health Services prior to arrival. A student diagnosed with active TB will not be able to attend School or live in the residence hall until the student can produce:

1. A letter from a licensed physician that the student has three consecutive negative sputum AFB test results and that he/she is on effective therapy, is improving clinically, and is not contagious;
2. a chest x-ray report which verifies that the TB is not longer active; and
3. other proof as recommended by the N.Y.C. Health Department.

The Health Services clinic observes the strictest rules of confidentiality and is in compliance with federal and State privacy rules that govern personal health information. Patient charts are maintained in a locked medical file cabinet, and no patient health information is released to third parties without a signed authorization, or as otherwise required or allowed by law. Clinic personnel have been trained in the practice of the highest standards in handling confidential medical information.

The Juilliard Counseling Service

The mission of the Juilliard Counseling Service is to provide supportive psychotherapy to assist students in meeting their emotional, psychological, and mental health needs. Our services advance the academic and performance missions of the School by facilitating personal development, self-awareness, problem-solving and communication. The Counseling Service carries out its mission through three essential roles and functions including counseling and psychotherapy, consultation, and outreach programming.

The Juilliard Counseling Service has a clinical director of counseling and five consulting psychotherapists who are all available to students on-site at various hours Monday through Saturday during the academic year. Appointments at therapists' private offices may be granted upon special request. We also have a consulting psychiatrist to whom students who require medication are referred (free-of-charge). Counseling services are conducted in soundproofed counseling rooms or at the private offices of our therapists, and there is a counseling waiting area that is separate from the health clinic side.

Health Insurance

The Juilliard School offers an excellent student health insurance plan that provides benefits for off-campus medical services and prescription drugs. Students who rely on the health insurance plan offered by the School should be aware that in order to be eligible for benefits, you must first be seen and referred by a clinician at Health Services. A referral for outside psychological services may be made by our clinical director of counseling services. The only exceptions to this rule are: emergency medical services or medical services provided while the student is not at School or when the Health and Counseling Services Offices are closed. Students should refer to the insurance brochure for details regarding coverage, but all students should note that coverage under the basic plan ends on May 31. Coverage under the supplemental plan (which requires the payment of an additional premium) terminates on August 31 for all students enrolled in fall and spring semesters. You should check with the Bursar's Office for details regarding enrollment and waiver requirements, premium rates, and rules regarding dates by which you must sign-up and pay for supplemental insurance. Family members are not covered under the student insurance policy except for limited coverage for newborns. General questions about health insurance and prescription drug coverage may be directed to the director of health and counseling services, ext. 282.