Health Center Policies

Psychotropic Mediciation Policy

Prescription medications that fall into the category called psychotropic medications may be utilized only in accordance with the Psychotropic Medication Policy, a copy of which may be obtained at Dewey House. Psychotropic medications are a broad class of drugs that are typically used in the treatment of conditions such as attention deficit disorder, depression and anxiety. Included in this class of medications are stimulant medications (e.g., Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, and Concerta) as well as antidepressants, tranquilizers and mood stabilizers. The Psychotropic Medication Policy includes the following points:

• No student should be taking psychotropic medication unless Dewey House has been notified in writing by the prescribing physician.
• All psychotropic medication must be brought to Dewey House. Being in possession of medication that has been brought from home and has not passed through Dewey House is a violation of this policy.
• Students may only be in possession of that amount of medication that has been dispensed to them by Dewey House.
• Medication that has been dispensed from Dewey House for use at a particular time but which has not been used at that time must be returned to Dewey House. Failure to return such medication is a violation of this policy
• Some medications, including short acting stimulants (e.g., Ritalin, Adderall) and narcotic pain medications (e.g., Vicodin, Percocet) may only be taken by students while in Dewey House. Students in possession of these medications outside of Dewey House without explicit permission from Dewey House staff are in violation of this policy.

Noncompliance with the psychotropic medication policy will be considered a major rule violation. If you are unsure whether a medication falls under the Psychotropic Medication Policy, please contact Dewey House for clarification.

Health Insurance

All Deerfield Academy students must be covered by health insurance. The school offers a Primary Health Insurance Plan for those students who are not already covered by a health insurance plan. For those families that want to augment their child’s coverage, the school offers a Secondary Health Insurance Plan. A pamphlet describing these plans is available from the Health Center at Dewey House

Fees

The Health Center at Dewey House fee covers expenses associated with routine outpatient fees and with three days of inpatient care for each illness or injury requiring an inpatient stay. Charges will occur for additional services and are handled in the following way:

• Orthopedic equipment will be charged to the individual student’s account.
• Physician’s fees for laceration repair and for fracture care are billed to the student’s health insurance.
• Fees for transportation to medical appointments (such as doctor, dental and radiology) will be billed to  students’ accounts through the Finance Office. Round-trips to Greenfield, South Deerfield and other nearby towns are $15. Round-trips to Amherst, Northampton and Springfield are $25.
• If a student stays in Dewey House for three nights or less, there is no charge. The student’s health insurance will be billed for each night after the third night. A one-time physician charge for physician care after the third night will also be billed to the student’s health insurance.
• Services provided outside the Academy, such as laboratory services and x-ray services provided at the Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield are billed to the student’s health insurance.