Student Health Center Office at Champlain College

Student Health Center

Student Health Center

The Student Health Center provides health care to Champlain College’s degree-seeking students taking classes on campus. Our staff includes registered nurses, nurse practitioners, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and a variety of medical consultants.

In addition to providing individualized health care, we also offer health education and wellness both on a one-to-one basis and through campus-wide programming. We encourage students to take responsibility for their own health by providing information and counseling students on health options. The Student Health Center is open five days a week during the academic year, with reduced hours during college vacations and breaks.

The mission of Champlain's Student Health Center is to provide health care through preventative, diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services. These services are focused not only on the individual, but on the College community as a whole. The health staff is dedicated to providing humane care and competent treatment, along with responsible referrals when needed. Along with assistance for many other health-related issues and questions, Champlain provides the following health services to all students:

  • Illness & Injury Evaluations
  • Lab Studies for Diagnostic Testing
  • Health Counseling

Services

We offer a variety of primary care and acute care services at the Student Health Center, including help with infections, illnesses, injuries, chronic health issues, medication management, screening and prevention, and more.

The Student Health Center offers care by appointment. Please call, email, or utilize the Patient Portal to communicate with staff.

  • Emergencies: call 911
  • Safety concerns: call Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465

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Our acute care services include evaluation, diagnostic testing, treatment, and specialty referral (when clinically indicated), and education for self care.  

Check out our tips on how to take care of yourself when you are sick.

Acute Needs Include:

  • Respiratory infections (congestion, cough)
  • Fever
  • Sprains
  • Musculoskeletal pain
  • Wound care
  • Concussions
  • Abdominal pain
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Rashes
Link to this FAQ

Our Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners provide psychiatric medication management and care for a variety of mental health diagnoses. We often work collaboratively with the Counseling Center, and other home psychiatric providers to coordinate care.

Please visit the Counseling Center website if you would like to learn more about counseling services, or schedule a counseling appointment.

Link to this FAQ

We offer holistic nutritional counseling and give students support who are struggling with disordered eating patterns while promoting body positivity. 

  • Basic nutrition counseling
  • Support for restrictive and binge eating
  • Specialist referrals when clinically indicated
Link to this FAQ

We work closely with a student's primary care provider or specialist who is managing the health condition, and can make additional referrals when clinically indicated. Students can receive care for a variety of chronic and recurrent conditions, including:

  • Asthma
  • Migraines
  • Diabetes
  • Acne
  • Celiac Disease
Link to this FAQ

We offer affirming and non judgemental sexual and reproductive health services to students of all genders, sexual identities, and sexual experiences.

  • Contraceptive services
  • Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) testing and treatment
  • Pregnancy testing
  • Pelvic exams
  • LGBTQIA+ and gender affirming care
  • Women's health
  • Men's health
Link to this FAQ
  • Sexually Transmitted Infection testing and prophylactic treatment
  • Comprehensive medical evaluations and Forensic Nurse Exams  
  • Mental health resources 
  • Intimate partner violence support
Link to this FAQ
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We offer confidential, trauma-informed care for students who have had non-consensual sexual encounters. We strongly encourage you to seek immediate medical care, either at the Student Health Center or the Emergency Room. The Student Health Center can provide:

  • Supportive and comprehensive medical evaluations
  • Forensic Nurse Exam conducted by a certified Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE). Learn more about this in the section below
  • Sexually Transmitted Infection testing and prophylactic treatment
  • Mental health resources 
  • Intimate partner violence support
  • Connection to HOPE Works advocacy
Link to this FAQ

If you have experienced sexual assault or non-consensual sexual encounters, we encourage you to seek immediate medical attention, even if you're not sure if you have any physical injuries. Although you may not feel physical pain, you may have internal injuries that cannot be immediately seen or felt. We encourage you to get medical attention whether or not you want to have evidence collected. The medical staff at the Student Health Center on Champlain College campus and the nearby University of Vermont Medical Center can provide care for any physical injuries you may have sustained, can test for sexually transmitted infections and/or pregnancy, and provide an examination by a trained Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE).

Link to this FAQ

We encourage you to seek the services of a FNE immediately following an experience of sexual trauma, as certain kinds of evidence collection, including toxicology testing, is time sensitive. A FNE exam is conducted by a professional with special training in working with individuals who may have experienced sexual trauma of all kinds. They can care for injuries, test and provide prophylaxis for sexually transmitted infections and/or pregnancy, and collect forensic evidence (if requested). In addition, you will be offered mental health care and resources.

You do not have to be certain that you have experienced sexual trauma to request a FNE exam or any other kind of medical or emotional care. The FNE can help you discuss options for reporting. You have the right to have someone with you during this exam including an advocate from HOPE Works. FNE exams are free of charge and will be covered by the state of Vermont.

Link to this FAQ

Even if you are not sure about reporting your experience to Champlain College, pressing charges with the police, or obtaining a protective order, you can preserve the option of reporting later by having evidence collected. You can discuss your options directly with the FNE.

In most cases, DNA evidence needs to be collected within 72-120 hours in order to be analyzed by a crime lab-but a sexual assault forensic exam can reveal other forms of evidence beyond this time frame that can be useful if you decide to report. Place your belongings, including the clothes you were wearing, in a paper bag to safely preserve evidence.

If you have questions about the timeframe, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or contact HOPE Works in Burlington at (802) 863-1236.

Link to this FAQ

During open hours, students can call the Student Health Center at (802) 860-2711 to arrange for a FNE exam as soon as possible. If a campus FNE is unavailable, students will be directed to the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) Emergency Room, which also has nurses trained and certified as FNEs. It is recommended that you call the UVMMC emergency room in advance and ask for them to arrange to have a FNE available: (802) 847-2434. Champlain College's Public Safety staff can transport you to UVMMC and will not require you to disclose the reason you are seeking care.

Link to this FAQ

Location

The Student Health Center is located at the ground level of Whiting Hall.

Our physical address is 203 S. Willard Street, Burlington, Vermont

Office Hours

The Student Health Center is open Monday–Friday, 8:30AM–4:30PM, and is closed from 12:00–1:00PM.

Appointments

Care is provided by appointment only. Please call, email or use the patient portal to schedule an appointment. 

After Hours

If you have an urgent medical need outside of the health center hours, please go to an urgent care clinic. Urgent care clinics are walk-in centers (no appointment necessary) for immediate health concerns that do not require a trip to the emergency room. Bring identification and an insurance card. For serious concerns and health conditions, go to the emergency room. For more detailed after-hour instructions, see the After-Hour Instructions in our After Hours Instructions page.

Class Absences

Illness and injury may occasionally impact a student's ability to attend class or to complete assignments. Students in this situation are urged to notify their instructors immediately when an illness or injury prevents them from attending a class or completing work. The Health Center does not provide written medical excuses for class absences. Students may request documentation to verify the date and time they were seen at the Health Center, but no further information will be provided. Students are responsible for making up all missed work.

This approach allows for students, as young adults, to advocate for themselves and take responsibility for their health and academics. This also encourages instructors to communicate directly with students if concerns arise.