New Advanced Access Scheduling for Medical Services

The CUMC Student Health Service is excited to announce that starting June 10, 2013, we will be piloting a new scheduling model, Advanced Access, for medical services. This model does not include scheduling for Mental Health or Wellness appointments.

What is Advanced Access?

Advanced Access will allow us to provide you with more timely care. It will allow patients, in most cases, to be seen on the same day that they call or go online to schedule an appointment, whether for an urgent concern or for a routine appointment (e.g., physical exam, gynecological exam, chronic disease management visit, travel consult, etc.).

Will I always be able to get a same day appointment?
Advanced Access means that in most cases we will be able to accommodate same day appointments. However, it relies on having some flexibility with the timing of your appointment during a given day. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate all students at the same time. However, we typically have between 200 and 250 clinician appointments per week and serve a community of 3500 students.

How does Advanced Access work?
• On the day you would like to be seen, please go to the web portal at http://cuhs.studenthealthportal.com to schedule an appointment.
• Select the appointment type – either “routine GYN/physical exam”, or “medical” – and select the current day.
• You will see a list of available appointments and clinicians. Select the closest time and the clinician of your choice. We encourage you to maintain continuity with one clinician whenever possible.
• If you do not see availability with your clinician, you may see another clinician on the same day or look to the next day when your clinician is available.
• You may also schedule via telephone by calling 212-305-3400, extension 1, though the online method is more expedient.
• When you arrive at Student Health for your appointment, check in with the front desk.
• If you have scheduled a GYN or physical exam, please arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment time so your vital signs can be taken.

For PPDs, immunizations, allergy shots, prescription refill requests and forms:
• Go to the Student Health Services clinic in person and see the nurse rather than scheduling with a clinician.
• Travel immunizations require a clinician appointment for a travel consult prior to seeing the nurse for the immunizations.

If you are unsure if your visit requires a clinician appointment, please stop by and see the nurse or call for a telephone consult.

Can I schedule an appointment in advance?
Though the goal of Advanced Access is to remove the need to schedule an appointment in advance, you will be able to if circumstances require you to do so.

You may still access the CUMC on-call clinician at any time after hours via telephone at 212-305-3400, prompt 7.

Feedback
We welcome your feedback on this system. Please drop a comment into the box in the waiting room letting us know if this change is working for you, if you encountered any problems, or if you have any suggestions. Alternately, you can email Dr. Melanie Bernitz, Executive Director, at mjb239@cumc.columbia.edu.

Saturday Urgent Care Availability at Columbia Health at 116th Street

At the present time, students with acute issues on the weekend must go to the ER or an urgent care center to be seen, as the CUMC Student Health does not have weekend hours. To address this need, and after a successful pilot program, we are pleased to be working with our colleagues at Columbia Health at the Morningside campus. All CUMC students enrolled in Student Health will have the option to utilize the Columbia Health Urgent Care Service at Morningside on Saturdays from 10AM-3:30PM. The Columbia Health Urgent Care is located on the 3rd floor of John Jay Hall. Check the Columbia Health website at http://health.columbia.edu/ for holiday closings. Please be reminded that this service is for urgent, acute needs only, not ongoing medical concerns.

If you have an acute, urgent care need (not a long term medical concern) during these hours, go to the Urgent Care area. Please bring your CUMC student ID card with you. Upon your arrival, you will be asked to sign in and complete a brief registration form at the front desk. If you are experiencing an acute condition (such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or severe abdominal pain), you should inform the front desk before completing the form.

You will also be asked to sign a release of medical information form so your records can be transferred to Student Health at CUMC after your visit. This will help us in following up on the care you received. If after the visit, the clinician recommends you see a specialist or have an imaging study, please contact Student Health at CUMC so the appropriate referrals are generated prior to your follow-up care visit to ensure coverage.

Students are seen in order of severity of illness in the Urgent Care area. Depending on the nature of your medical concern, this may result in a significant wait time. Your cooperation and patience while waiting are appreciated. Rarely, students have conditions that cannot be fully evaluated or treated in the Urgent Care area. In these instances arrangements are promptly made for you to be transferred to St. Luke’s Hospital Emergency Department.

You may still access the CUMC on-call clinician at any time after hours via telephone at 212-305-3400, prompt 7.