Comprehensive Care

The Sports Medicine program at Elmira College provides comprehensive medical care for all student-athletes. The staff offers immediate emergency care, evaluation of injuries, referrals, and treatment and reconditioning of injuries utilizing therapeutic modalities and exercise techniques; such as taping and bracing, health screenings, nutrition, drug, alcohol, and conditioning guidance. An Athletic Trainer is available at all practices and contests to render immediate care for an injured student-athlete.

The underlying philosophy of treatment advocated by the Sports Medicine staff is to return a student-athlete to competition as quickly as possible without jeopardizing the student-athlete's health or welfare. The same quality care and treatment is given to all student-athletes regardless of team status or participation level (Junior Varsity or Varsity). We believe that it is important to educate the student-athlete about his or her injury to assist in the rehabilitation and recovery process and to prevent a recurrence of the injury.

The Sports Medicine program provides many services to the student-athletes that assist in the prevention, treatment, education of, and rehabilitation of injuries Some of these services include:

Elmira College provides an excess coverage athletics injury insurance for all student-athletes. Medical expenses relating to your athletics participation, that are not paid for by your or your family's health or accident insurance, are covered. Illness and other non-athletic related conditions are not covered by this policy. This policy does not cover Intramural and Club Sports. An Explanation of the Insurance Policy will be sent to student-athletes in the Sports Medicine packet.

Any billing for treatment should be forwarded to your own insurance carrier first.

Additionally, the College offers a health-sickness insurance policy for those students who do not have medical coverage. It is recommended that all international student-athletes purchase this insurance policy.

Claim forms are available in the Business office, (McGraw Hall, Room 225); these forms should be filled out by the athlete. Assistance is available in filling out the claim forms. In addition to a claim form, separate documentation (such as an Explanation of Benefits statement) must be provided indicating that there is not coverage (or coverage has been exhausted) from alternate policies.

It is very important that the claims procedures be followed correctly, in order for payment to be provided. Simply sending medical bills to either the Athletic Office or the Office of the Treasurer will not suffice.

A student-athlete's medical information is protected by HIPPA guidelines and Elmira College sends a notice to all student-athletes. The notice describes how medical information about the student-athlete may be used and informs on how to get access to this information. Please print and review the Notice of Privacy Practices.

In addition if the student-athlete is considered a minor then the parent or legal guardian must sign the Authorization for Medical Treatment of Minors form.

Elmira College provides a drug education program for all of our varsity and junior varsity student-athletes. As an institution the college does not randomly drug test our student- athletes, but they are subject to random drug testing at NCAA championship events. The college does reserve the right to drug test a student-athlete if there is reason to believe one should be preformed. Some drugs that are banned by the NCAA are prescribed for various conditions and illnesses. If a student-athlete is prescribed a banned drug and tests positive for that drug the student-athlete must request a medical exemption so they will not lose a year of eligibility. One common condition where this may occur is ADHD/ADD.  To avoid this situation there is specific information that must be in the student-athletes medical file before the student athlete is allowed to practice with their team. To help, the NCAA put together guidelines the college must follow and what information is needed from the prescribing physician. These guidelines can be found in the ADHD/ADD Medical Exemption Requirements.

Other Information and Forms: