Health Services

Rutgers University–Newark students can call (973) 353-5231.

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please call Rutgers University–Newark Student Health Services at (973) 353-5231 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Please call as soon as possible and 24 hours in advance. You must pay a $5 ($10 for repeat) fee for appointments canceled on the same day.

Penalties are assessed for students who repeatedly do not show for appointments. This includes same-day cancellations. After an initial warning, the charge is $5 for the first time, and after that, $10 each time for repeat no-shows.

In most cases, students come on time and appreciate being seen on time. The Health Services staff tries its best to see patients at their scheduled appointments. A late arrival shortens the allotted time for the health provider to address the visit and delays the next scheduled appointment of another student.

For late arrivals, the appointment may have to be rescheduled, if accommodation is not possible, for another time (for example, same-day, next-available appointment or no-show) or another day.

Walk-In Time (Noon–1:30 p.m. daily) is best used for cases of acute illnesses when an appointment has not been made in advance. These visits are allotted 15-minute segments and may require waiting time. Patients are seen by whoever is on duty, on a first-come, first-served basis, unless there is an urgent need to see someone out of sequence. Patients needing follow-up care or medication refills should contact their primary provider.

If Health Services is closed, and the problem is a life-threatening emergency or needs immediate attention, call 911 for emergency medical transport, or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.

For nonemergency matters, you may contact our after-hours, 24-hour Nurse Answering Line at (866) 221-9674 for answers to medical questions and professional advice regarding the next "best steps" for a medical problem. You are urged to return to Health Services on our next working day for follow-up care, or for evaluation if your problem has not resolved. Health Services receives a report about every patient contact with the nurse answering line on the following morning.

Health Services staff members, in general, do not write medical notes excusing your absence from class. Obviously, we cannot provide retroactive medical determinations if you present after the fact.

However, if you come to Health Services and are diagnosed with a significant illness requiring bed rest, an emergency room visit, hospitalization, evidence of a disabling condition (for example, a fracture), or an infection requiring isolation to protect the community (for example, tuberculosis, chickenpox, or flu), the staff will provide you a note containing medical instructions. It is the dean's academic decision to determine how to handle your absence.

You may request a chaperone, someone of your own choosing, or one of the Health Services staff members, to accompany you at the visit.

If you have difficulty in English, French, or Spanish, and if it is necessary, a professional telephone translator will be made available.

Patients should expect confidentiality of their private medical records, per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and privacy policies within Health Services. All staff members of Health Services are required to sign a statement of confidentiality upon being hired, and they are trained regarding HIPAA laws.

Health Services–Newark needs your permission to release protected medical health information to others. You can do so by signing a Release of Information Form. However, there are exemptions to this rule, such as in the occurrence of a medical emergency, reporting of communicable diseases as required under New Jersey public health statutes, or in response to a subpoena or court order. Some of the reportable communicable diseases include but are not limited to the following:

• Sexually transmitted infections, such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis
• Hepatitis A, B, and C
• Tuberculosis
• Chicken pox

Rutgers University and the State of New Jersey require students to provide an official record of either:

• Two doses of MMR vaccines given at least one month apart or
• Proof of immunity (titers)

Rutgers University and the State of New Jersey require students with 12 credits or more to provide an official record of either:

• Three doses of hepatitis B vaccines or
• Proof of immunity (titers)

Rutgers University and the State of New Jersey require students residing at the Rutgers dormitory to provide an official record of:

• One dose of Meningococcal "ACYW-135" vaccine (Menactra®, Menveo®, or Menomune®)

Note: This vaccine is NOT the same as Meningococcal "B" vaccine (Bexsero® and Trumenba®).

Rutgers University and the State of New Jersey require students of the College of Nursing or any nonimmigrant visa holder student born in a country with a high prevalence of TB to provide an official record of TB skin testing. If the TB skin testing is positive, a chest X-ray is required.

Your grades may be withheld because you did not follow university rules for immunization requirements. Health Services can help you by obtaining the necessary blood tests to prove immunity, or by administering the necessary vaccine.

Secondly, if you owe money to the university, you may have a hold on your records until your outstanding bill has been paid.

Understanding your financial hold

You can have a range of diagnostic tests performed. Routine laboratory tests — complete blood counts, complete metabolic panels (glucose, liver, kidney tests), lipid/cholesterol profiles, and urine tests — are ordered with physical examinations. Throat and other cultures, sickle cell, pregnancy, HIV testing, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening are offered when medically applicable.

Those who have student insurance will have their routine labs covered. Students who have waived the student insurance will pay for the cost of the labs. However, most routine and STI testing are low cost.

Please schedule an appointment to discuss your laboratory needs and fees, and to inspect our fee schedule.

Yes, the Health Center is accredited by AAAHC (Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care), and all clinicians are Board Certified in their respective specialties. 

The laboratory is certified by the State of New Jersey and is also a Sentinel site for influenza testing. 

The laboratory area and clinical spaces are maintained according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. The health clinic is inspected annually by Rutgers Environmental Health and Safety (REHS) and every three years by the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Healthcare Centers (AAAHC) inspector. Health Services is also accredited by AAAHC. Read more about us.

Health providers are sensitive and well educated about the needs of all patients, and they are comfortable in discussing all sexual lifestyles. Though questions might seem personal at times, accuracy in reporting one's sexual behaviors and experiences may be critical to your medical health management.

Students often ask to be tested for “everything.” Sexually transmitted infections can be transmitted to the vagina, penis, skin, throat, blood stream, or colorectal mucosa through intimate contact. The most commonly diagnosed STIs in sexually active college students are chlamydia, human papilloma virus (HPV), genital herpes, and gonorrhea. We test for these infections, as well as for syphilis, hepatitis B and C, and HIV/AIDS by blood, urine tests, swabs of the cervix, throat or rectal cultures, as indicated. Some of these tests have charges. Some of these infections are preventable by vaccination — this includes hepatitis B and HPV. We urge all students to use condoms for contraception, and as an effective barrier against STIs.

PrEP is a daily pill that prevents you from getting HIV. PrEP is a way for people who do not have HIV but who are at substantial risk of getting it to prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day. The pill (brand name Truvada) contains two medicines (tenofovir and emtricitabine) that are used in combination with other medicines to treat HIV. When someone is exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use, these medicines can work to keep the virus from establishing a permanent infection.

When taken consistently, PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection in people who are at high risk by up to 92 percent. PrEP is much less effective if it is not taken consistently. PrEP is a powerful HIV-prevention tool and can be combined with condoms and other prevention methods to provide even greater protection than when used alone. But people who use PrEP must commit to taking the drug every day and see their health care provider for follow-up every three months.

Any crime should be reported immediately to the Rutgers Campus Police. If you are on campus, police can be reached at (973) 353-5581 (x 5581). If you are off campus, dial 911 for immediate attention. Rutgers University Crime Victim Assistance counseling is available for confidential counseling about personal and legal matters. Our counselor can assist in making referrals and can accompany you to court and hearings as needed. Medical staff can also assist in your medical care, if needed. Call Health Services at (973) 353-5231, or our staff member, (973) 353-1279 for assistance.