Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQs
The Primary Care Health Service is located in Lower Level Brooks Hall, in the basement of the Barnard Quad, and is accessible via both the Sulzberger and Brooks entrances.
The PCHS is accessible by wheelchair from the elevator on the first floor of Brooks Hall.
The PCHS is open for clinical care during the academic year.
Our business hours are Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Please note that the PCHS closes every Tuesday from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM for a staff meeting.
For more information please see our Hours & Location page.
To request a copy of your immunization or medical record, please complete the Authorization to Release Medical Records Form.
- All record requests must be submitted on the Barnard Authorization to Release Medical Records Form.
- We cannot accept forms from other offices.
You can mail, fax or drop the form off at the PCHS.
- We cannot accept or send any medical information via email.
Please note processing times can take up to 1 month depending on the amount of records requested.
Current students may receive a copy of their medical records at no charge. There is a charge of seventy five cents per page for non-current students.
Appointment FAQs
PCHS offers a variety of appointment types, outlined on our Appointment Types page.
There are two ways to schedule an appointment with the PCHS:
- Calling the PCHS at 1-212-854-2091
- Stopping by the office
All students must bring their insurance card (either the physical card, digital image, or a print out of the front and back of the card) every time they visit the PCHS.
There is no co-pay or visit fee at the PCHS.
However, the PCHS does charge for medication, vaccines and medical supplies which must be paid for at the time of the visit via credit card or check. The PCHS does not accept cash.
For more information please see our Fees page.
While there is no per-visit fee or co-pay at the PCHS, referrals, lab tests and diagnostic tests are billed to your insurance.
For more information please see our Fees page.
There will be no online appointment scheduling/canceling for the Fall 2023 semester.
The Open Communicator website is the PCHS's secure online portal.
On the Open Communicator website you can schedule certain types of appointments, cancel most PCHS appointment, receive secure messages from Primary Care clinicians and Furman counselors, submit certain required forms, and access your immunization records.
For more information please see our Open Communicator page.
There will be no online appointment scheduling for the Fall 2023 semester.
You can schedule the following appointment types on the Open Communicator website:
- Contraceptive Management
- Gynecological
- Physical or Form Completion
- Medical Visit
For more information please see our Appointment Types page.
There will be no online appointment scheduling for the Fall 2023 semester.
You cannot schedule the following appointment types online. Please call or come into the office to schedule the following appointment types:
- Flu shot
- Immunization
- PPD placement or reading (for tuberculosis screening)
- Travel appointment
- Nutrition appointment
- EKG
- Lab work (from PCHS or Furman Counseling providers only!)
- Health Education appointment
- Any Furman Counseling appointment
There will be no online appointment canceling for the Fall 2023 semester.
There are two ways to cancel an appointment:
- Calling the PCHS at 1-212-854-2091
- Stopping by the office and canceling in person
You can cancel most scheduled PCHS appointment via the Open Communicator website in the Appointments Section, regardless of whether you made it online, over the phone or in person!
Appointments cannot be canceled via:
- Voice mail
- gBear/personal email
- Open Communicator Secure Messaging.
Special Note About Nutrition Appointments:
There is a strict 24 hour cancellation policy for all nutritionist appointments.
- There is a $25 late cancellation fee for all nutritionist appointments that are not cancelled at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment.
- To cancel an appointment, please call Primary Care at 1-212-854-2091 at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment.
Yes! The PCHS charges a $25 no show appointment fee for all appointments which have not been canceled before the start of your appointment.
For more information please see our Fees page.
No, PCHS does not have walk-in hours.
There are no walk-in hours at PCHS
If you are unsure as to whether you need an appointment, please feel free to contact us at 1-212-854-2091.
Except in emergencies, students who arrive without an appointment should be prepared to wait, as you must have an appointment to be seen.
Insurance FAQs
Yes! ALL currently registered Barnard students have access to the services at the PCHS, regardless of what kind of insurance they have.
Students can print their insurance card from the Aetna Student Health website.
- Click on “Get Your ID Card”.
- Enter your 7-Digit Student ID number and your date of birth.
- The ID Number is NOT the same as the UNI and is NOT located on the Barnard ID card.
- You can find the 7-digit ID Number by logging into Barnard portal: portal.barnard.edu
- Click on "How Do I"
- Scroll down to "Find My College ID Number" and follow the instructions.
- Click “Submit”, and you're ready to print!
To request a new physical card, please contact Aetna Student Health at 1-866-725-4396.
Students with iPhones can also download the Aetna app and download their insurance card to their Apple Wallet.
For all insurance questions please contact the Director of Operations, Elliot Wasserman at ewasserman@barnard.edu or 1-212-854-8305.
Medical FAQs
The Barnard Primary Care Health Service recognizes that serious illness will not always be confined to weekday, daytime hours.
For those urgent or potentially dangerous situations that cannot wait until Primary Care re-opens, telephone advice is available throughout the academic year, including Thanksgiving, and spring breaks.
Clinician On-Call: 1-855-622-1903
Please note that the Clinician On-Call is only available when PCHS is NOT open.
During regular business hours, please call Primary Care at 1-212-854-2091.
No. All health information is confidential and yours alone. This information is never shared with any family members or representatives of the college. We require written consent from you to release your health information to any person.
For all emergencies that occur during PCHS office hours, call CARES at 1-212-854-3362.
The PCHS does not provide class excuse notes.
If you are seen in the office we can provide a note stating the date that you were seen, but it will not contain any medical information.
If you have an on-going illness that requires accommodations, please contact CARDS .
Yes! Please make an appointment with a PCHS provider to discuss your medical history and needs while at Barnard.
An appointment is necessary to refill any medication at the PCHS.
If you have a prescription from an outside doctor, you may want to check with your doctor to see if the medication can be sent directly to one of the local pharmacies in the area.
The closest pharmacies to the Barnard campus are:
- Duane Reade/Walgreens at 111th Street & Broadway
- Telephone: 212-316-5113
- Open 24 hours
- CVS at 110th Street & Broadway
- Telephone: 917-421-8287
- Store open 24 hours, Pharmacy closes at 9:00 PM during weekdays and 6:00 PM during the weekend
- Town Drug and Pharmacy at 113th Street & Amsterdam Avenue
- Telephone: 212-749-2677
- Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Hartley Pharmacy at 120th Street & Amsterdam Avenue
- Telephone: 212-749-8480
- Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
An appointment is necessary to purchase any medications or supplies from Primary Care.
The front desk is not able to dispense any medications or supplies, including over the counter medications and supplies such as ice packs and bandages.
The vending machine near the Brooks entrance in the Quad is open 24 hours and contains common over the counter medications.
For mental health services, please contact the Furman Counseling Center.
No. There are psychiatrists on staff at the Furman Counseling Center but generally they do not refill psychiatric medications without a full evaluation.
There are no walk-in hours for PCHS.
The PCHS maintains a list of specialists in NYC.
For a referral either:
- Come to Walk-In Hours: Monday - Wednesday & Friday: 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM and Thursday: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
- Call Primary Care at 1-212-854-2091 to make a referral appointment.
All referrals must be obtained before the visit to the specialist!
No, Barnard students cannot be seen at Columbia Health Services when classes are in session.
Yes! Emergency Contraception (EC) is available in the Primary Care Health Service. There are several ways to obtain EC at Primary Care:
- Call Primary Care at 1-212-854-2091 to schedule an appointment
- You can also buy EC in the vending machine located near the entrance to Brooks Hall in the Quad. The vending machine is available at all times.
Primary Care provides free condoms, dental dams, gloves, finger cots and lubricant, available in the waiting room whenever we are open.
The Wellness Spot offers internal and external condoms, dental dams, finger cots, and lubricant in a basket outside of the office in 119 Reid.
For contraceptive options like the pill, intrauterine device (IUD), ring, or implant, please make an appointment with PCHS.
Students who would like to get an IUD or Nexplanon from PCHS must first have a clinical appointment for medical clearance, and then a health education appointment to answer any additional questions and to fill out paperwork to order the device.
Appointments for insertion are scheduled once the device is delivered to Primary Care.
For more information, please see our Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives section on our Services page.