24/7 Community

Health Services

Opened in spring 2023, the deButts Health & Wellness Center was designed to provide comprehensive health care to the EHS student community. Services include an advanced school health clinic, medication dispensary, 24/7 care in a sophisticated eight bed infirmary, a full service counseling department and a multipurpose wellness center all housed in a beautiful, 17,000 square feet, state of the art facility in the center of campus.

The purpose of EHS Health Services is to provide quality comprehensive health care to all students of the EHS community. We offer a broad spectrum of primary care specialty services and health education that pertains to both the medical and mental health needs of adolescents.

You can always contact a representative in the deButts Health & Wellness Center via email at

healthcenter@episcopalhighschool.org or by phone at 703-933-4063.

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deButts Health & Wellness Center: Medical Clinic

The medical clinic located in the deButts Health & Wellness Center is managed by the Medical Director and Director of Health Services and staffed by 8 full time registered nurses and the health center office administrator. The Medical Director is a licensed physician available to provide direct student care and clinical consultation. Students are welcome to be seen in the clinic by appointment or, as a walk in, on an as-needed basis. Students in need of medical attention can report directly to the health center or contact the nurses through the health center phone. In addition, parents, advisors, dorm faculty and teachers are encouraged to contact the health center on a students behalf.

Services available at the clinic include professional nursing assessment and plan for care, referral to school physician, daily dispensing of prescribed medication, over the-counter medication for relief of mild symptoms, routine 24/7 primary care for common illnesses, and various other services including but not limited to blood draws, urine testing, asthma treatment, strep throat and mono testing, wound care, health counseling, and immunizations.

Influenza vaccine is offered to all members of the EHS community during the fall of each school year. The flu vaccine is strongly encouraged to mitigate the potential for spread of influenza in a dormitory housing setting.

There is no charge for routine evaluation by the nurse or doctor in the Health Center. There are minimal fees charged for all vaccines and for some non-routine items, including laboratory testing performed in the Health Center. A fee schedule is available at the clinic and provided upon request. Charges are processed through the student’s account, unless otherwise requested by the student or parent.

The clinic also provides several common over-the-counter health related products for sale directly to students in an area adjacent to the reception desk at the deButts Health & Wellness Center. This area is known as the “Medicine Cabinet.” Items purchased are charged to the student’s account.

On arrival to the health center a student will be examined by the nurse on duty and triaged according to the level of care needed which may include further assessment by the school physician, transfer to Urgent or Emergency Care, subspecialty consultation or routine OTC medication dispensation and rest in the health center. If a student will be missing academic class or other required obligation, the nurse on duty will provide a class excuse and inform the appropriate faculty or staff. The location of a student in the Health Center will be posted on the portal for teachers to access during the academic day and to inform dorm faculty if a student will be missing from their dorm room in the evenings or overnight. Confidential information regarding the reason a student is in the Health Center is only shared as needed.

Students will not be excused to miss class for appointments or walk-in visits to the Health Center during class hours unless deemed appropriate by the nurse on duty. Scheduled medical appointments during the academic day or afternoon activities period must be cleared by the Health Center or Deans office a minimum of 24 hours prior to the student leaving campus. No student is permitted to miss an academic or extracurricular obligation without an excuse from the Health Center or Deans Office. Students excused from class due to illness or injury must remain in the Health Center during the academic day and through the after school activities period. No student is permitted to stay in their dorm room during these times.

Students and parents can request an appointment in the Health Center by phone or email:
Health Center phone - 703-933-4063
Health Center email - healthcenter@episcopalhighschool.org
deButts Health & Wellness Center: Medication Dispensary

The medication dispensary, also located on the first floor of the deButts Health & Wellness Center, provides a safe and professionally managed environment for the storage and dispensing of medications. Students are not permitted to keep most prescription medications in their dorm room to self medicate. All prescription medications, especially those classified as controlled substances, are distributed to the students by licensed Health Center staff. The Health Center and EHS abide by an extensive and strict medication policy dictated by the medical director, state licensing boards, and federal drug laws.

The medication policy applies to all students, with particular emphasis on those students taking medications for depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, pain management or other controlled substances.

Students with prior medical diagnoses, necessitating prescription medication, are required to maintain their relationship with their primary care physician or specialist prescribing their medication, throughout the school year. Parents/guardians are responsible for procuring prescriptions from the primary prescriber according to the medication policy with a notable emphasis on the fact that the dispensary will only accept written scripts and will not accept pills directly from the student or parent at any time. The policy also includes guidelines regarding how a medication will be dispensed when the student requires medications during off campus, school sponsored activity. The Health Center will not dispense medication to students for unsupervised off campus sign outs for non-school sponsored activities such as weekend college visits and school breaks.

In an effort to reduce the amount of medication traveling with students at any time, parents are encouraged to maintain an adequate supply of medication for their student at home to dispense during weekends and holidays.

Students requiring daily medications will have the dispensing procedure reviewed with them during the first weeks of school. Students are strongly encouraged to assume responsibility for taking medications at the appropriate time and for communicating with the health center staff about any concerns related to medications. The Health Center maintains a strong interest in managing a student’s medication compliance, effectiveness, tolerance, and any other concerns surrounding medications. The Health Center will track medication compliance in a real-time Google document (a parent Gmail account is necessary to access the compliance information), which is shared with the parent and advisor at the start of the school year or when the medication is first prescribed. Parents may request this document be shared with additional faculty or staff as needed.
Medical Leaves

A Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) is authorized by the Medical Director in consultation with the Director of Health Services for leaves involving physical illness or injury and, with the Director of Counseling for leaves related to mental health concerns. Reasons for medical leave include but are not limited to physical illness, surgical procedure, athletic injury, sudden onset of mental health concerns, psychological evaluation, or need for specialized mental health care. Each MLOA is specific to the student’s diagnosis and plan for care.

Contact between the primary care providers and the EHS health care team is required during the students MLOA and is essential to approving the student’s return to campus. Communication regarding the student’s plan for care and or medications necessary must be provided by the treating medical provider to the EHS Medical Director, the Director of Counseling and/or the Director of Health Services. Parents will be informed of who will serve as their direct contact at the time of initiation of MLOA. If the medical concern occurs while a student is on campus, the Counseling and Health Center teams will work with external health care providers to initiate evaluation and plan for care. Parents or guardians are expected to arrive on campus within 24 hours of initiation of an MLOA or hospitalization, whichever occurs first.

For a MLOA for mental health concerns, students cannot return to school directly from either an inpatient or day patient program. A graduated return to school will be coordinated by the Director of Counseling.

Students will not be expected to maintain academic work at the onset of a medical leave and during the evaluation process. The Director of Health Services will work with the Assistant Head for Academics to develop an appropriate academic plan tailored to the students ability and under the recommendation of the medical provider. A health care plan and open communication between the providers and the Director of Counseling or Medical Director must be established before students resume school work. The Assistant Head for Academics will then work with the student and faculty members to develop a plan for completing essential academic work. Students will have their regular access to course content on Canvas, but in some cases, a 3rd-party tutor may be necessary to help students master content they have missed in the classroom.

Typically, MLOA are granted for up to 3 weeks. Consideration for extension of MLOA at the end of the first 3 weeks is possible but must be discussed with the Assistant Head for Academics and reviewed by the Medical Director or Director of Counseling. Extension of MLOA will be no longer than 3 additional weeks. Should a MLOA extend beyond 6 academic weeks, conversations will then be directed towards consideration of medical withdrawal from EHS.

A second MLOA for the same health concern during a student’s EHS career would prompt a conversation regarding permanent medical withdrawal from EHS, in the interest of the student. The Assistant Head for Academics will work with students to facilitate transferral of earned academic credits.

Counseling Center

Episcopal’s counseling center operates from a wellness model that aims to strengthen our community through education, prevention, and intervention meant to foster healthy adolescent development.

EHS Counselors believe that the capacity to explore obstacles to personal and academic growth in a proactive way is a sign of strength and resilience. Students are encouraged to seek out counselors for short-term, solution-focused sessions aimed at overall wellness, insight-oriented exploration, healthy decision making, and adjustment to life transitions.

The Counseling Center is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. There are three full-time counselors available to provide support, assessment, and brief supportive counseling. For mental health emergencies outside of the typical school day, students should call or go to the deButts Health & Wellness Center and ask to speak with the counselor on call. The counselors also collaborate with local mental health providers and a consulting psychiatrist and make referrals for ongoing therapy and specialized support.

Students can request an appointment by emailing ehscounseling@episcopalhighschool.org or by signing up online via the student portal. Families can contact the Director of Counseling or email ehscounseling@episcopalhighschool.org to reach a counselor in order to discuss concerns, schedule an appointment for their student, or make arrangements for referral to local off campus providers. Referrals can also be made by advisors, faculty, coaches, and other members of the EHS community.

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Confidentiality

The Counseling Department abides by the Episcopal Health Services policy on privacy and confidentiality. The counselors recognize the importance of confidentiality as essential to the success of the counseling relationship and as necessary in building a trusting, therapeutic connection. We encourage students and families to disclose relevant information to the members of our community who are involved in the student's daily life when appropriate, but if they choose not to do so, the counselors will honor confidentiality within the limits of safety and the law. Additionally, counselors collaborate as a clinical team with each other, the Medical Director, the Director of Nursing and other Health Center staff to coordinate care.
New Student Support

The counselors are available to help new students as they make their transition to boarding school life. Conversations often revolve around being away from home, making new friends, living with a roommate, and navigating new academic expectations. Counselors also provide brief mental health counseling for students facing obstacles to personal and academic growth and can make referrals to local mental health providers for ongoing and specialized support as needed. The counselors will be available during orientation to meet new students and talk with families, and they will hold open house hours to introduce themselves to students during the first few weeks of school. Families can contact the Director of Counseling with any questions or counseling requests.
deButts Health & Wellness Center: Healthy Choices Programming

Healthy choices is the theme that guides our daily work with Episcopal students and anchors our health and wellness programming. With the goal of integrating health and well-being into all aspects of student life, the wellness programs strive to teach students skills that will help them adapt with resilience. Through our orientation programs, Health and Wellness course, various workshops and speakers, substance abuse prevention programs, and student wellness groups, we provide relevant and up-to-date information about health matters, encourage dialogue that helps students discern healthy options, and work to create a school culture that is conducive to learning.
Care Related to Substance Use

The Counseling Center supports Episcopal’s policy on substance use and possession while assisting any student with substance related questions or concerns. In addition to collaborating with the Student Assistance Team (SAT) and the Dean’s Office to provide appropriate evaluation and support for students who are placed on a no-use agreement, counselors are available to work with individual students and families to address concerns related to substance use. Students and families can also contact one of the counselors for referral to a local substance abuse specialist.

Privacy

All members of Episcopal High School Health Services are guided by federal privacy laws protecting patient information in the health care setting, state laws regarding adolescent access to medical care and right to privacy, and federal laws regarding privacy in the educational setting. Where possible and when necessary, EHS Health Services maintains communication with a student’s advisor, family, dorm parent, etc. while respecting the framework of these laws. In general, personal information about a student and his or her situation is shared only with the people who need to know this information in order to provide for the student’s safety and welfare (“need-to-know basis”). Questions regarding the appropriateness or authorization of disclosing health-related information can be directed to the EHS medical director.