Kansas State University
1105 Sunset Avenue
Manhattan, KS 66502-3761
785-532-6544
lafene@k-state.edu
International Students
Dear New K-State International Student,
Welcome to Kansas State University!
Among the many fine services available to the K-State student is a fully accredited, professionally staffed outpatient medical clinic/health service. Lafene Health Center, located just west of campus on Sunset Avenue, is available to care for your health care needs with services of full time physicians, nurses, laboratory, x-ray, physical therapy, pharmacy, nutrition and diet counseling, and specialty clinics for allergy, sports related injuries and gynecology. Our Health Promotion/Nutrition Counseling department also provides individual and group counseling and presentations, inside and outside the Center, on a variety of health related topics.
The student health privilege fee you pay as a part of your tuition helps maintain the Health Center, keeping it accessible and available to all students. It provides for medical office visits (to talk with a physician or nurse about a health issue) at no charge and health education and promotion services. The fee subsidizes, but does not totally cover laboratory tests, medications, x-rays, treatments or other procedures which may be necessary to assist in your care. You will be charged a fee, customarily much less than you would have to pay in the general community, for these services.
The student health privilege fee is not, however, insurance. For those charges at Lafene Health Center which are not prepaid or totally subsidized, and for health care services elsewhere, it is required that all international students at Kansas State University carry health insurance, either through the State of Kansas endorsed insurance program available at special rates, or through other coverage. Please read the the enclosed "Financial Information" sheet for further details.
The Kansas Board of Regents, who supervises all state universities, requires that all international students maintain health insurance and evacuation/repatriation coverage while a student at Kansas State University. That body has endorsed an insurance program that students may choose to purchase.
General medical clinic hours at the Health Center are 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Please check with us regarding hours of availability of specialty clinics. After clinic hours, or when the Health Center is otherwise closed, you may need to contact a local hospital emergency department or a walk-in type urgent care clinic if the need arises. In Manhattan, please contact the emergency department at Mercy Regional Health Center, 1823 College Avenue, (785) 776-3322 or K+Stat Urgent Care at 900 Hayes Drive, Suite B, (785) 565-0016.
The Health Center is heavily utilized by the students at Kansas State. In order to manage the utilization and attempt to minimize waiting time, we operate on an appointment system. Both same day and subsequent day appointment times are usually available. If you have a healthcare need, you are encouraged to telephone (785) 532-6544 or stop in to schedule an appointment. Staff are also available to provide urgent medical care should this need arise.
Important: Enclosed with this letter is a Medical
History Form which Kansas
State University requests all new students to complete and have
on file at the Health Center. The information you give us via the form
is kept strictly confidential and can be very valuable should you have
a medical emergency while a student on campus. Also, because the form
must be completed and on file before we can help you with a non-emergency
medical need, completing and returning it NOW can save you a lot of time
and frustration later. Law prohibits the release of medical information
of students 18 years of age and over to others, including parents, without
the student's written authorization 
.
It is very important that your immunizations be CURRENT AND ON RECORD. There is a place on the Medical History Form for you to complete this information. Be sure the details are completed. In a university setting, you will be in contact with many new people. Such diseases as mumps, measles, chicken pox, and whooping cough still exist, all highly contagious, and can spread rapidly in a concentrated population such as school.
The Centers for Disease Control and American College Health Association recommend that you consider the following immunizations or screenings cited before entering college at: http://acha.org/info_resources/RIPIstatement.pdf and www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/college.htm. These vaccinations/tests can be obtained from your local physician, health department or Lafene Health Center.
Tuberculosis Screening: For all students who have lived in a “high risk” foreign country for over 3 months, a tuberculosis test is required before enrollment at KSU. To ensure your timely enrollment, please contact Lafene Health Center at (785) 532-6544 as soon as possible to arrange testing. The testing process requires a minimum of 1 week. Testing of any non-student adults accompanying you is also suggested. There is a charge for the test. If the test indicates a positive result, a chest x-ray is required. There will be a charge for the x-ray.
Physical Examination – A physical examination is not required for admission; however if you have had one within the past year, a copy would be helpful to the Center staff. This may save you some unnecessary expense.
We recommend that you have any necessary dental and eye examinations before coming to KSU since the Health Center does not provide these services.
Allergy Injections – The Health Center gives allergy injections at regularly scheduled times. Your physician must supply written, detailed instructions. Contact the Allergy Clinic, telephone (785) 532-2796 at the Center, for specific directions.
If you are not certain about the answers to any of the questions on the Medical History Form, including the immunization record, ask your parents or family physician.
Return the Medical History Form to us in the envelope provided and, again, welcome to K-State. If we can be of help to you while you are here, please call upon us. Even if you are not in need, stop by anyway, and see what is available to you.
Robert J. Tackett, MD, Medical Director
Lannie W. Zweimiller, Director
04/2009
