Introduction to Health Services

Geneva Glen's philosophy toward "Health Care" is derived from the first four letters of the word: HEAL. Our camp environment is one that adds health to the individual rather than subtracting illness from an individual. GG's mission addresses the protection and development of the whole child, and health and wellness is a component that helps to sustain and promote the wholeness of the child / youth. Be sure that you are familiar and feel comfortable with these policies and practices.

GG hires two camp nurses (at least one R.N.) for the summer to ensure that there is a nurse at camp at all times. For each camp session, a physician is available who: consults at camp Check-In; backs up the camp nurse for any problems and further consultation; and remains on-call through the session. Our new Health Center is centrally located and is a camp care facility, complete with isolation and treatment areas. Our nurses schedule hours for routine or non-urgent medical needs and remain on call round-the-clock for emergencies. The GG Health Center provides first aid and treatment for minor acute health problems. This care includes treatment for cuts, bruises, splinters, mild cold symptoms, mild diarrhea, conjunctivitis and other common or non-serious conditions. The camp provides rapid strep tests and, if needed, can obtain appropriate antibiotics. For all other conditions, the child will be seen in a nearby medical facility, depending upon the severity of the illness.

Medications

The Geneva Glen medical staff can administer only medications that are prescribed by an MD/DO, and these meds must be in their original prescription container. Scheduled medications are distributed in the dining room at meals and over-the-counter PRN (as needed) medications can be obtained at the Health Center during open hours. Please make sure that the medications you would like to administer to your camper match the Health Care Recommendations on p. 4 of the Health Form.

No vitamins, minerals, supplements or homeopathic medications will be accepted or administered at camp. If a camper needs over-the-counter medications administered on a regular basis (ie, Miralax, Zyrtec, etc.), it must be documented properly on page 4 of the Health Form by the camper’s health care provider. For all other purposes, we maintain a variety of over-the-counter medications for as-needed use. These general medications stocked at the Health Center include: Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin, antacid, cough medicine, etc. (no need to send these items with your campers). Staff and campers are not permitted to keep medications or supplements (i.e. vitamins, dermatology creams, etc.) of any kind in their trunks, cabins or dorms.

Emergency Medical Services

Geneva Glen is served by local ambulance and fire-fighting personnel who are dispatched from a station within a few miles from camp, and able to provide relatively quick response time. GG is located within 20 minutes of a public health clinic, an urgent care medical facility and two major hospitals in Denver.

Health Form

The GG Health Form must be complete and submitted prior to camp for all campers and staff.
Items to include:

1. Health insurance information and a copy of a health insurance card
2. A list of ALL medications taken on a daily basis
3. A description of all medical conditions, including those that require medication(s)
4. A health care plan from the primary care provider for any chronic illness/condition
5. The GG Examination Form signed by a licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner
6. A record of the camper/staff up-to-date immunizations or signed exemption form

Downloads:

• 2013 Health Form Policy Letter
• 2013 Health Form

When Do You Need a Physical?

A physical exam is required for admission and must be current within 24 months of attendance. The Examination Form, which must be submitted EVERY year, may be submitted separately. You may access the Health Form online in a PDF file format (see link abive), which can be downloaded and printed submitted online, or the form can be sent to you by fax, email or mail. "Licensed Medical Personnel" (MD, DO, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant), must fill out AND SIGN the Examiniation Form for every summerr. ALL chronic medical conditions must be documented on the GG Health Form. For conditions such as asthma, allergies, anaphylaxis, diabetes or other chronic conditions, a care plan from the primary practitioner must be provided with the GG Health Form. If you have any questions, or if you need a supplemental form, contact the GG administrative or medical staff before the summer season starts.

Download the 2013 Health Form here

Christian Science campers are exempted from the physician exam requirement but must submit an authorized waiver. The camper’s health history with parent signature still is required for admission.

Policies Concerning Medical Information and Parent Notification

The Healthcare Plan requires a signature over the Authorization Statement that states:
"This health history is correct and complete as far as I know. The person herein has permission to engage in all camp activities, except as noted. I hereby give permission to the camp to provide routine health care and to administer prescribed medications/emergency treatment for me/my child, as may be necessary – including, but not limited to, x-rays, routine tests and treatment, and/or hospitalization. I also give permission for the camp to arrange related transportation. I agree to the release of any records necessary for treatment, referral, billing, or insurance purposes. It is my intention that the camp be treated as acting in loco parentis, if the person herein named is a minor. Further, it is my intention that the appropriate representatives of the camp be treated as “personal representatives” for the purposes of disclosing protected health information pursuant to the privacy regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. I hereby agree (pursuant to 45 CFR § 164.510(b)) to the disclosure to camp representatives of the protected health information of the person herein described, as necessary: (i) to provide relevant information to the camp representatives related to the person’s ability to participate in camp activities; and (ii) in the case of minors, to provide relevant information to the camp representatives to keep me informed of my child’s health status. In the event I cannot be reached in an emergency, I hereby give permission to the physician selected by the camp to secure and administer treatment, including hospitalization or emergent surgery, for the person named above. This completed form may be photocopied for trips out of camp."

Session Check-In Days
On Geneva Glen Check-In days, all parents start at Step I to confirm your financial record. From there you will be directed to "Step-2" (located in the Health Center) if: (1) you have medication to drop off (see below); (2) you need to visit with the camp doctor/nurses; or (3) the GG medical staff needs to clarify anything with you. Parents wishing to have a private consultation with the camp medical staff may do so at the Geneva Glen Health Center, during step-2 on Check-In days (feel free to notify the medical staff in advance, by calling 303-697-4621 x18 or by email: health@genevaglen.org).

Policies Regarding Contact With Parents
Parents of campers (or employees who are minors) are notified of potential health concerns identified in the screening process (i.e., immunization needs or other special needs). Should the camp staff observe something that concerns our camp nurse or camp physician, we will contact the parents.

We will attempt to contact the parent or guardian at the numbers listed on the Health Form and/or registration card. We will notify the next available designated contact person for the following situations:

• Emergency,
• If treatment is given off-site (i.e., hospital or health clinic),
• If a camper spends the night in the Health Center for medical reasons,
• When specifically directed to do so via written request, and/or
• If a camper’s recovery deviates from the expected course of recovery.

Under emergency circumstances, we will do what is best for your child.

Geneva Glen will attempt to contact you first by telephone and we will use any means available, including fax and e-mail. However, because of timing and scheduling conflicts, we cannot promise that we will be successful in reaching you. The phone numbers you provide on your child’s Health Form and registration card are the numbers we will try first. When registering, please make sure that we know how to reach you during your child’s stay by including cell phone numbers, home numbers, work numbers, pager numbers, temporary numbers used during vacations and e-mail addresses. We suggest that you and your designated emergency contact person keep your emergency phone powered on and available 24/7 while your camper is at camp.

If Geneva Glen's healthcare provider determines that a camper needs a referral to an out-of-camp provider (i.e., physician, orthodontist) for routine health care (i.e., strep throat screen, ear infection or UTI), we will contact the parent or guardian by phone to discuss the situation and collaboratively determine the next course of action.

If your camper attempts self-injury, makes threats of suicide, exhibits violent behaviors, severely withdraws from activities or exhibits serious symptoms of an eating disorder, you will be notified. If your camper has a diagnosed behavioral disorder, it must be noted on the Health Form and the camp physician and camp nurse must be consulted on check-in day.

Typically, we will not contact you if your child is seen in the camp Health Center for routine problems (i.e., skinned knees, sore throat, conjunctivitis, headache, etc.) that do not require a physician referral. The decision to consult you for routine, in-camp health care is determined on a case-by-case basis by our provider. Please attach a letter to your child's Health Form if you wish for us to deviate from the procedures noted above.

Food and Nutrition

It is important for parents to understand that Geneva Glen serves full meals to over 325 people three times per day! The Camp's menus are prepared by experienced cooks and the menus are reviewed by a licensed nutritionist and/or dietician. We do our best to serve nutritionally balanced meals that also are appropriate from a caloric standpoint. The meals generally are appealing to children's tastes. All meals are served family style at the same time every day. Vegetarian alternatives typically are not provided, but accommodation is given for vegetarian diets when it is reasonable to do so.

Geneva Glen is not a therapeutic camp and provides meals similar to those found in most schools. We cannot guarantee the absence of peanuts or other allergens in the meals. We serve healthy, balanced meals.

*** In accordance with state health regulations, we cannot permit parents to bring any food that requires refrigeration or freezing or specialized preparation (such as boiling or microwaving). With special cases that have been reviewed by our camp Physicians, we can accommodate a reasonable amount of dried food items (such as bread, cookies, cereal) that are gluten-free, but campers are expected to pick-and-choose the specific food items they can eat in a manner similar to what they do at school or a restaurant. Geneva Glen assumes that your camper is able to participate in all camp activities, and this expectation includes the ability to partake in camp’s nutritionally balanced menus without extensive restrictions or limitation.

If you have a camper with a significant allergy condition, please contact Johnny Domenico (johnny@genevaglen.org; 303-697-4621, x 13) who will arrange a consultation with one of the camp doctors concerning your child’s condition.

Feel free to contact the camp any time with questions.