Frequently Asked Questions
Location
Schiffert Health Center
895 Washington Street, SW
Virginia Tech, McComas Hall (1040)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Hours
Monday - Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to noon
(URGENT CARE ONLY)
Schiffert Health Center maintains an APPOINTMENT ONLY system. You may make appointments online or by phone (540-231-6444). Appointments and student health information cannot be requested through email. If you have a medical emergency, do not make an appointment at Schiffert Health Center, call 911.
In the event of a medical emergency or life-threatening condition, call 911.
If you need non-emergency medical care after hours, call the Schiffert Health Center Advice Nurse at 540-231-6444. The nurse will direct you in self-care, resources for community clinics and/or to the local hospital emergency room.
Because of the high demand for the limited number of appointments available at Schiffert Health Center, it is important that you keep your appointment; if you are unable to do so, cancel it before the time of the appointment so that another student may fill it.
Failure to cancel with a minimum of one hour before your appointment will result in a $25.00 charge that will be billed to you through the university’s Student Accounts. This charge is applied to missed appointments in all clinics.
Cancellations may be made by:
- Calling Schiffert Health Center at 540-231-6444
- Online at the Healthy Hokies Portal
- Sending an email to health@vt.edu
Be sure to include your name, student ID number, and the date and time of the appointment to be cancelled.
Schiffert Health Center DOES NOT provide students with medical excuses for missed classes due to short term illness or injury. This is consistent with the policies from other peer institutions and with American College Health Association recommendations. All students can view their appointment history using the Healthy Hokies Portal - a list of past appointment dates is available within the Medical Records tab. When an illness or injury occurs that may disrupt academic responsibilities, you are advised to contact your instructor(s) as soon as possible to notify them of the situation.
In the event that the severity or length of your illness/injury warrants a written document, you will be referred by the practitioner to the administrative assistant who will write the letter.
Cadets may be provided with recommendations for activity or uniform limitations by a practitioner by noting these limitations on the Visit Documentation slip. It is the cadet’s responsibility to provide these recommendations to their company commander.
The student health fee, included in each year’s tuition, covers the majority of services provided by Schiffert Health Center -- unlimited visits and most laboratory procedures. However, some services require a minimal health center charge.
If you visit or are referred to any outside healthcare provider, you are responsible for all charges incurred there.
Schiffert Health Center values the privacy of its patients and the confidentiality of the personal health information entrusted to us. In order to protect this privacy, policies and procedures are put into place that limit disclosure of personal information to only those who are responsible for the medical care of the patient, those that the patient has given permission, and/or those required by law or public safety.
Schiffert Health Center practices under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its privacy rules. This means that the health center cannot convey information about a student to a parent or family member unless the student has signed a Medical Information Release form. This release form must be signed per visit and per diagnosis. There is no blanket statement.
Schiffert Health Center offers sexually transmitted infection testing on common STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, genital HPV, genital herpes simplex, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Some of these tests may require a fee, while others do not.
No. Charges on student accounts will show as “Medical Service Charge.” Parent(s)/guardian(s) cannot receive specific information without your permission. Parents and guardians can be granted permission with the Authorization Release Form.
Charges can be paid immediately at Schiffert Health Center with cash, checks, or Hokie Passport to avoid any notice on student accounts.