Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made changes to maintain the safest environment possible for patient care. All services are being delivered by appointment only. Please call us at 412-268-2157 to discuss your needs.
Your student's health is important to you.
It's important to University Health Services, too.
Parents and family members play an important role in the health and wellness of their students. Here are some important pieces of information for you to know:
Frequently Asked Questions
- I want to be involved in my child's healthcare, but when I called UHS for more information I was told I needed to complete a release form. Why?
- UHS is not permitted by law to disclose any medical information to a parent or guardian without the consent of the student unless the student is mentally incapacitated or threatens to harm themselves or someone else. If you call us with a concern, we will contact your student directly to request permission to speak with you.
- I have a Health Care Power of Attorney (POA) for my child, does this count as a release form?
- A Health Care Power of Attorney (also known as an Advance Health Care Directive) is a document that designates someone to make health care decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. This document does not give the authority to share confidential medical information about your child when they are not incapacitated.
- What is an emergency contact? Is it the same thing as a Health Care Power of Attorney?
- An emergency contact is someone you designate in writing to be notified about you if there’s an emergency. The CMU Student Information System has a record of your emergency contact.An emergency contact does not automatically have the power to make health care decisions for you. You can make the same person your emergency contact and your health care decision-maker. If they are not the same person, you should give your emergency contact a copy of your health care POA.
- Are parents notified if their child has a health care emergency?
- If a student is at UHS during a health care emergency, they will be asked to contact their emergency contact if they are able. If they are incapacitated or otherwise unable to advocate for themself, UHS will attempt to notify their emergency contact. UHS does not provide treatment for incapacitating conditions and would transfer them to a hospital. Hospitals will follow their own notification protocols.
- Does UHS automatically provide hospitals with POA when on record?
- No. It is the student's responsibility to keep the health care POA available if needed to go to the hospital. If UHS is sending a student to the hospital during regular hours of operation, however, and they are incapacitated or unable to advocate for themself, UHS will contact their emergency contact and make every effort to supply a copy of the health care POA to the hospital/ ambulance technicians.
- I'm a student, is my medical information confidential?
- The Family Educational and Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as well as state laws and professional and ethical codes preclude University Health Services from routinely sharing your medical information and counseling records with third parties, including your parents, without your written consent. However, in a health care emergency where you are incapacitated or otherwise unable to advocate for yourself, UHS will notify your emergency contact if necessary, regardless of whether or not you have a health care power of attorney.
Health Requirements
Carnegie Mellon has immunization and other health requirements for incoming students. Learn more about immunizations
Carnegie Mellon requires that full-time students physically located within the U.S. have health insurance. Learn more about cmu's student health insurance plan
All new CMU undergraduate students must complete the AlcoholEdu for College and Sexual Assault Prevention courses. We encourage our families to have ongoing conversations with your student about substance abuse and sexual violence prevention.
Special Medical Needs
UHS offers comprehensive care management for students with special needs. Learn more about resources for students with special needs
Students with special nutritional needs that require a dining plan accommodation must submit a Special Dining Needs form. Learn more about resources for students with special dining needs
Student with special health needs that require a housing accommodation plan must submit a University Housing Accommodation form to the Office of Disability Resources.