Sports Health Care
Initial assessment and care are provided by Penn State Sport Camps Sports Health Care personnel. Initial assessment and care are available during camp sessions and in the residence halls.
Sports Health Care personnel refer camp participants with urgent medical problems to the Emergency/Outpatient Department of Mount Nittany Medical Center. A parent or legal guardian must sign the Participation form to grant permission for any medical attention needed during the camp.
Taping
Sports Health Care personnel will not provide prophylactic taping or wrapping.
Medical Fees and Insurance
The University provides accident and illness medical insurance designed to respond on a "primary" basis with no deductible, as part of the program at no additional charge. This coverage provides up to $5,000 in benefits in the event a camper sustains an injury requiring treatment or hospitalization, up to $500 in dental benefits, and up to $1,000 in benefits for illness, after which the family's medical insurance must be used. The insurance provided will cover only an injury or illness resulting from activity which occurred while the camper was participating in Sport Camps activities at Penn State. Parents/Legal guardians will be responsible for medical bills for a camper with a pre-existing medical condition or illness.
Medications
If at all possible, medication should be administered at home. Medications will be allowed at Sport Camps only when failure to take such medicine would jeopardize the health of a child and he/she would not be able to attend the sport camp if the medicine were not made available.
The parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of camp participants are required to disclose their intention to bring medications to Sport Camps, especially to treat potentially life-threatening conditions (i.e. inhalers, EPI-pens, insulin injections). Upon arrival to Sport Camps, parent(s)/legal guardian(s) should plan to submit the completed Daily Medication Log form to Sports Health Care personnel and meet with a member of the Sports Health Care staff at registration to review medication issues for a camp participant and complete additional required paperwork if not completed prior to arrival. For identification purposes, a current picture of the child is to be provided upon registration.
MEDICATION LOG FORM Click Here
All medications (prescription and over-the-counter) must be stored in the original product packaging and clearly labeled with the participant’s name. Prescription medication(s) must also include a label with the medication’s name and dosage instructions, as well as the prescribing physician’s name and telephone number.
Access to all medications will be limited to approved personnel. The need for emergency medication may require that a camp participant carry the medication on his/her person or that it be easily accessed (i.e. inhalers, EPI-pens, insulin injections).
Penn State Sport Camps staff will NOT purchase medications of any type (prescription or over-the-counter) for camp participants of any age. Sport Camps staff will NOT transport campers to a store to purchase OTC medications. If a physician prescribes a camper a medication due to injury or illness while at camp, it will be the responsibility of the parent/legal guardian to pay for the prescription. Penn State Sport Camps staff will NOT dispense medications of any type (prescription or over-the-counter) to camp participants of any age.
Penn State Sport Camps Sports Health Care personnel may monitor the self-administration of over-the-counter medications (e.g., ibuprofen or Tylenol) supplied by the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) per package instructions and with written consent of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) and/or physician's orders for medical emergencies. Penn State Sport Camps requires your consent for the Sports Health Care staff to assist in the administration of medication to your child, if necessary. Penn State Sport Camps staff will NOT handle or assist in the administration of medications categorized as narcotics and controlled substances.
It is NOT permissible for a participant to share any medications with any other participants.
It is the responsibility of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) to be sure that the participant's medications brought to Sport Camps are not left behind at the end of the program. Failure to do so will result in the medications being destroyed within three working days after the participant's last day at the program. Absolutely no medications will be returned via mail regardless of circumstance.
Head Injury
Penn State Sport Camps staff will manage head injuries, including suspected concussions, conservatively using the `ABC' (A-Assess the situation, B-Be alert for signs and symptoms, C-Contact a health care professional) recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This includes immediate removal of a camp participant from play upon sustaining a head injury and using appropriate field clinical techniques to screen a camp participant for typical signs and symptoms associated with a concussion. Upon presenting with any associated signs and symptoms of a concussion, the Sports Health Care staff will remove the participant from activity and notify the parent/legal guardian/coach.
Penn State Sports Camps adheres to the notion that a licensed physician with training in managing traumatic brain injury will make the final recommendations and decision regarding returning a camp participant to play after a head injury with suspected concussion. Thus, Sports Health Care personnel will NOT make such decisions. Activity progressions following a concussion will not be implemented or supervised at sport camps.
Penn State Sport Camps advocates that parents/legal guardians, coaches/administrators and camp participants alike review the CDC `Heads Up' concussion training online tutorial at https://www.cdc.gov/heads-up/training/youth-sports.html BEFORE attending related events on campus. Sport Camps also mandates that parents/legal guardians, coaches/administrators and camp participants review the corresponding `Heads Up' fact sheet for parents, coaches and athletes (camp participants) respectively.
Heads Up Fact Sheets
- For Parents: Click Here
- For Coaches: Click Here
- For Athletes: Click Here
Accordingly, endorsing the Sport Camps Consent for Treatment form affirms that parents/legal guardians and/or coaches/administrators have reviewed the `Heads Up' fact sheet for athletes with camp participants BEFORE attending related events on campus.