Did you miss out on receiving your flu vaccine? Join the health center staff on Friday to help keep our campus healthy this flu season. The health center will hold another flu clinic on Friday, October 24, in Christie Hall lobby, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. If you are unable to make the flu clinic you may also call the health center at 7134 and schedule a time to be vaccinated. For additional information visit the CDC website at http://tinyurl.com/lh5n28e.
Health Center
Best Way to Tell the Flu to Shoo
The flu season is fast approaching and faculty, staff, and students can take measures to minimize the risk of contracting the disease, according to Susan Chisum, health center.
First and foremost, get the seasonal flu vaccine! According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), most deaths and hospitalizations from influenza and its related complications occur in babies, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. However, the majority of flu is spread by young, healthy, unvaccinated children and adults. That’s why vaccination is such an important part of flu prevention. Keep our campus healthy by getting your flu vaccine today. Spread the word about the flu vaccine and encourage all members of our campus community to get vaccinated. The health center has flu vaccine available by calling 7134 and scheduling a time to be vaccinated.
For additional information visit the CDC website at http://tinyurl.com/lh5n28e.
Spirituality and Meaning in Higher Education Lecture, Oct. 9
All faculty and staff are invited to a lecture on the diversity of spirituality among faculty presented by Jennifer A. Lindholm, special assistant to the vice provost for undergraduate education at UCLA, following her Student Affairs Leadership Workshop earlier in the day. The lecture begins at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct 9, in the Holy Cross Lounge on the third floor of Franz Hall, and will be followed by a wine and cheese social.
Lindholm’s scholarship focuses on the structural and cultural dimensions of academic work; the career development, work experiences, and professional behavior of college and university faculty; and undergraduate students’ personal development. She is the author of a book on faculty spirituality titled The Quest for Meaning and Wholeness, and a student spirituality book titled Cultivating the Spirit. Both are available in the Pilot House bookstore through October.
For more information regarding the faculty presentation at 4:30 p.m., contact Paul Myers, health center, at 8983 or myers@up.edu or Karen Eifler, Garaventa Center, at 8014 or eifler@up.edu.
Stopping The Flu Is Up To You
Influenza is a contagious illness that can be very severe and even life- threatening. The best prevention is to receive the flu vaccine this fall. The University Health Center will be holding flu clinics for the University community from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Pilot House on Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday, October 1. A third clinic will be held on Friday October 3 in Fields and Schoenfeldt Hall from 3 to 6 p.m. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to join in on keeping our campus healthy. Cost is $20 (cash, check, or student account). Please note: Faculty and staff who are covered by Kaiser insurance will have an opportunity to receive a free flu vaccine sponsored by HR on October 14, 2014.
For additional information on preventing seasonal flu by vaccination please visit the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/index.htm.
Plan Now For Exam Proctoring
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSWD), in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences and the professional schools, assists faculty and staff in meeting the accommodation needs of students with disabilities. As the number of students registered with the OSWD continues to grow, faculty are asked to plan ahead now to meet UP’s shared responsibilities to ensure equal access for all.
Faculty are reminded that it is their responsibility to proctor exam accommodations for extended time and/or alternative (distraction-reduced) settings. Now is a great time to extend a general invitation to each of your classes for students to discuss their accommodation needs privately with you. Anticipating exam proctoring needs now, including final exams, allows the most effective use of University space and resources. Feel free to set up a faculty proctoring cooperative within your department or school. Be creative and work collaboratively to share proctoring resources. An unmonitored exam room (with online video stream), Franz 123, is set up to meet faculty space needs for proctoring exams.
Thank you for your partnership in creating equal access for every member of our community. For exam proctoring questions or to reserve individual exam seats in FR 123, faculty should contact their school or departmental administrative assistants. For general accommodation questions, contact Melanie Gangle at gangle@up.edu.
Let’s Get Off To A Healthy Start
The University Health Center would like to offer a few reminders to help faculty, staff, and students stay healthy.
A fever is a sign of illness. If you have a fever you need to be at home to prevent sharing your illness. If you are ill with a fever it is recommended you contact your health care provider. Students should be encouraged to call the health center for advice. Ebola has been in the news frequently after a prolonged outbreak in Africa. If you or someone you know develops a fever after travel to West Africa, please call your health care provider for advice.
This is also a good time to make sure you are up to date on your immunizations. Check with your health care provider to see if you need additional vaccinations.
Watch for the flu vaccination clinics on campus coming in October. Protecting yourself will help to keep our campus healthy and our classrooms full of healthy learners.
Hand washing is an effective tool to help reduce the spread of disease.
For additional information on how to stop the spread of illness, visit http://tinyurl.com/l4gw6cf, or contact the health center at 7134 or health@up.edu.
Learning Assistance For Summer Session No. 1
During the initial weeks of the first summer session, the Learning Assistance Program will offer individual consults on time management, test taking, note taking, reading strategies, reduction of test anxiety, and memory skill development. Individual appointments may be made with Bro. Thomas Giumenta, C.S.C., at this link: http://tinyurl.com/kqm9ffn.
Don’t Take Measles Lightly
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease and a confirmed case has been reported here in Portland, according to Susan Chisum, health center. The Multnomah County Health Department suggests that if you or a family member are susceptible to measles and were at Portland International Airport between 7:45 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday, March 24, you should watch for symptoms through April 14. The symptoms of measles generally begin about 7-14 days after a person is infected, and include blotchy rash, fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes (conjunctivitis), feeling run down and achy (malaise), or tiny white spots with bluish-white centers found inside the mouth (Koplik’s spots).
Measles poses the highest risk to those who haven’t been vaccinated, especially pregnant women, infants younger than 1 year, and people with weakened immune systems. It is never too late to receive the vaccination to protect yourself and those around you. If you are unsure of your immunization status or that of someone in your family, the health department suggests contacting your health-care provider.
Have questions about measles infection or the measles vaccine? Call your primary care provider or local county health department:
- Clackamas County Public Health: 503-655-8411
- Clark County Public Health: 360-397-8182
- Mult. County Public Health: 503-988-3406
- Wash. County Public Health: 503-846-3594.
Don’t Let Illness Catch You!
This year’s cold and flu season is already in full swing. Unfortunately we all know that when the weather turns colder, we find ourselves crowded indoors, which puts everyone at greater risk for communicable diseases. Remember that where two or more are gathered, so will be many viruses. If you are walking to class and you hear the dreaded cough and sneeze, you have just been exposed to the rhinovirus, otherwise known as the common cold. The flu virus is also spread by coughing and sneezing. Remember that drink you shared with a friend yesterday? You may have been exposed to Mono or other contagious viruses. How about that meal you had at the social gathering yesterday? You could find yourself experiencing the Norovirus (nausea, vomiting and diarrhea). The following tips may seem obvious, but in the long run they will help you have a better chance of a healthy winter and spring on The Bluff.
- Hand-washing is key. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, especially after using the restroom, coughing, or sneezing. Alcohol hand sanitizers are effective when soap and water are not available.
- Limit physical contact. Limiting your physical contact is the optimal way to prevent getting sick. The simplest way to do that is to stay home if you are sick, Don’t risk spreading your illness to others. You should stay home for at least 24 hours after any fever is gone. This concept goes beyond just catching the common cold. If you feel the odds are against you, practicing prevention now will help reduce your risk of illness. If you have not had a flu shot, please check with local pharmacies and get vaccinated today.
You can find out more at the University Health Center Website at http://tinyurl.com/mruk2jk.
2014 Flu Season In Full Swing
The H1N1 flu is circulating and hitting people hard this year in Oregon, striking many people, including healthy children and young adults. The season has started earlier than normal and is expected to continue for several months. By the end of December 2013 hospitals had admitted 81 patients with complications from the flu.
The illness typically lasts 5 to 7 days and it is recommended to limit contact with others to prevent spreading the infection. Symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body, which means you may be able to pass the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. This is a contagious respiratory virus and you will need to stay home from class, work, and activities while you recover. It is important to stay hydrated and rest long enough to allow your body to mount its own immune response, kill the virus, and prevent complications.
The good news is the H1N1 strain is included in the current flu vaccine. It is not too late to protect yourself and others by getting a flu shot. Please contact your health care provider or local pharmacy and receive your flu vaccine today to stay healthy. For more information go to http://tinyurl.com/pzxcokh.