The UC Santa Cruz Student Health Center is open and will remain open during spring quarter.
In-person visits are limited to students living on campus who experience acute injury or illness. Everyone accessing in-person care will be screened for fever and respiratory symptoms before entering. As is standard, a nurse advice line is available after hours at 831-459-2591 to assess urgent health concerns.
Students living on and off campus may schedule phone appointments through their Health e-Messenger accounts. Phone appointments cover prescriptions and refills, lab orders and referrals to specialty care.
The health center has a limited capacity for testing COVID-19, but in line with local, state and federal public health guidelines, it’s currently testing anyone who falls into high risk categories, said executive director of Student Health Services Gina Fleming in an email. Fleming said that as testing capacity increases this may change. Students concerned they might have COVID-19 should call ahead and arrange to be seen.
The pharmacy is open and is mailing prescriptions to local pharmacies free of charge. Due to the low volume of students on campus the pharmacy adjusted its hours to open at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Prescriptions can also be transferred and filled at local pharmacies.
UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP)
UC SHIP covers students whether they are on or off campus. Students with UC SHIP can visit their local UC medical centers, schedule phone and online appointments, have prescriptions mailed to them and access remote mental health and counseling services. In-network urgent care visits charge the standard UC SHIP copay. Out-of-network visits may cost more.
Students living abroad should contact the health center for a referral before accessing non-emergency care and ensure they have signed up for Blue Card Worldwide to get information about health services abroad.
STI Testing and Birth Control Services
The on-campus lab is open for STI tests, which can be ordered online. All students may be prescribed birth control pills without an office visit by scheduling a birth control request appointment through their Health e-Messenger accounts.
SHOP, CAPS, Cove and CARE
Student Health Outreach and Promotion (SHOP) closed its offices for in-person appointments and moved services online for spring quarter. Students seeking support around general health, sexual health and alcohol and other drug use can schedule Wellness Coaching appointments with SHOP staff.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is fully operational and will remain so through spring quarter. Non-crisis appointments and continuing treatment will operate remotely through phone or video calls. To schedule a non-crisis appointment, call 831-459-2628.
The CAPS office is maintaining in-person crisis services for students living on or near campus. Crisis services are also available over the phone, at 831-459-2628, or via Zoom. Students living away from Santa Cruz who require urgent in-person psychiatric care should visit the nearest emergency room, said CAPS director Gary Dunn.
The Cove, UCSC’s recovery support space, closed its office and transferred all services online for spring quarter. Students can schedule individual online and phone appointments and attend virtual recovery meetings. Students can also stay in touch with the Cove community via the video chat app Marco Polo.
Campus Advocacy Resources and Education (CARE) has also closed its office and moved all services online. Individual sessions and group support meetings will be held over Zoom. For those unable to access a confidential space to take phone or video calls, contact CARE at care@ucsc.edu or 831-502-2273 for alternate accommodations. Information about after hours and remote care is available on the CARE website.
Disability Services
All disability accommodations apply to online courses, coursework and exams, and disability van services remain fully operational. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) offices are closed, but students can schedule phone appointments and access services by emailing drc@ucsc.edu.
