Health Professions Students

Health Professions Students - COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements Established by Clinical Settings, External Organizations.  

A complete COVID-19 vaccination series is required for all students enrolled in health professions programs (Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Technology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Phlebotomy, Physical Therapist Assistant and Radiologic Technology) whose academic progress depends on clinical placement.

Each clinical partner agency sets its own requirements for students. At this time, all major clinical partner agencies and external organizations with whom the College has clinical agreements have required students to obtain a full course of the COVID-19 vaccine. The exceptions granted by SUNY do not apply to the clinical partner agencies.

Students who choose not to comply with the clinical partner agency COVID-19 vaccination requirement may face serious delays toward degree completion. Because of the complexities of arranging clinical placements and the likely increase in clinical sites that require COVID-19 vaccination, College staff may not be able to rearrange clinical placements for students who refuse or are unable to meet a clinical agency’s vaccination requirement. Failure to meet clinical education outcomes will hinder students' ability to complete their degree program.

Successful completion of clinical-based learning is a requirement of all our health professions programs, mandated by accreditation and/or state or national certification or licensure boards. Maintaining the integrity of the programs we offer and having our students graduate from accredited programs provides them with the greatest opportunity for gainful employment and success. This is of vital importance to SUNY Orange and to our community.

Please contact the Department Chair of your Health Professions Program if you have any questions.

---

Flu Vaccine Requirements

Students in the Health Professions programs are encouraged to obtain a vaccine for the current flu season, 2022-2023. The flu vaccine is the best way to prevent flu infection and protects students, their loved ones, classmates, and clinical contacts. Although the College does not require vaccination for flu some clinical sites may. Students are encouraged to speak to their clinical instructor regarding potential vaccination for flu.

When you have obtained a flu vaccine please upload documentation to our secure online portal.

Students who decline to obtain the flu vaccine are required to complete the Flu Vaccine Declination form. Please contact the Wellness Center at wellnesscenter@sunyorange.edu.

---

Welcome to the Health Professions!

Below please find helpful information as you navigate the process of submitting your medical requirements to obtain your clinical clearance. 

Information for Students Entering a Health Professions Program in FALL 2023

Physical Packets for incoming health professions students will be emailed to all accepted students in late April to their  SUNY Orange email account. Check your SUNY Orange email account and if not received check your spam. If you still don't have it please email wellnesscenter@sunyorange.edu. 

Physical due dates vary by program and will be posted in the packets.

Be sure to thoroughly read the instructions sent with your packet and take a look at the PowerPoint presentation "How to Obtain Your Clinical Clearance -Spring 2022 (PDF)."

For Students Entering the Second Year of a Health Professions Program

Physical Packets for returning health professions students will be emailed in late April. Check your SUNY Orange email account and if not received check your spam. If you still don't have it please email wellnesscenter@sunyorange.edu. 

Be sure to thoroughly read the instructions sent with your packet and take a look at the PDF presentation "How to Obtain Your Clinical Clearance -Spring 2022 (PDF)."

Submitting Your Physical 

When you have completed all parts of the physical, MAKE COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS and send the originals to the Wellness Center. There are two options:

1.) MAIL TO: SUNY Orange Wellness Center, 115 South Street, Middletown, NY 10940.

• If you choose to mail it may take 2 weeks or more to receive your clearance
• The Wellness Center and College are not responsible for documents lost or damaged in transit
• Make sure you keep copies of all documents and affix your return address and proper postage to the envelope

2.) Drop your documents off at the Wellness Center in the Shepard Building, Middletown Campus Monday – Friday, 8:30-4:30, or place them in the drop box on our door if the office is closed.

Only the original physical paperwork will be accepted. NO EMAILS – NO PHOTOCOPIES - NO FAXES.

Incomplete physicals will NOT be accepted, which may delay your participation in your program.

Physicals are reviewed in the order in which they are received. 

Receiving Your Clinical Clearance

Once your documents have been reviewed and deemed compliant with New York State requirements for healthcare personnel, the nurse will issue you an official clearance form which will be emailed to your SUNY Orange email account. This process may take anywhere from one to two weeks after your documents are received. As our staff is small, please be patient and wait to hear from us. Time spent responding to calls and emails regarding a student's physical status takes time away from processing physicals. 

If your documents are incomplete or do not meet the New York State requirements, you will be contacted via email. Incomplete documents may be returned to you via mail, delaying processing and your clinical clearance.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.   

We Can Help 

We realize that attempting to complete this process can be challenging. Please know that the Wellness Center team is here to guide and assist you. We ask you to reach out to us immediately with any problems, issues, or concerns. Please call us at (845) 341-4870 or send us an email at wellnesscenter@sunyorange.edu. A nurse will respond within 24-48 business hours. You may also use our Ask A Nurse option.