Health Services Team

Health Services

Health Services has a Nurse Practitioner, Melanie, two part-time Registered Nurses, Mary and Tonia, and an Office Manager, Tina, who are on site 9:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday while school is in session. Melanie has a collaborating physician, Dr. Matthew Harrison, who she is able to contact if necessary.

Students are encouraged to come to the Wellness Center for any issues. Most likely we will be able to help you, but if we can’t, we can direct you to a local family practice, Urgent Care or Emergency Room if necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Typical services we provide treatment for:
      • Allergy symptoms

      • Asthma symptoms (including nebulizer treatments)

      • Cold and sinus symptoms

      • Eye symptoms

      • Ear symptoms

      • Sore throat

      • Cough

      • Minor abdominal pain

      • Urinary tract infections

      • Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

      • IV replacement if needed

      • Headaches and dizziness

      • Rashes 

      • Neck pain, back pain, sprains and strains

      • Insect bites and bee stings, cuts, abrasions, etc.

      • Minor laceration repair 

      • Removal of stitches or staples

      • Blood pressure checks

      • Over-the-counter medications, first aid supplies and educational materials

We have rapid tests for:

    • Blood sugar

    • Strep

    • Mono

    • COVID

    • Flu

    • Urine dip

**Please allow enough time to see us. Expect to be in the Wellness Center about an hour

All services offered by our health staff are in accord with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Visits to the Wellness Center are FREE.

Laboratory tests that need to be sent out to a laboratory are billed to the student’s health insurance.

If a student is referred outside the Wellness Center to a local doctor, Urgent Care or Emergency Room, the student is responsible for payment of associated charges and possible co-pay.  

Students are responsible for transportation to off-campus health facilities.

Each student must have medical insurance, either through a private insurance company plan or the insurance package offered through Belmont Abbey College. Information regarding the school’s medical insurance with information on how to waive the insurance will be sent during the summer months from Student Financial Services.

All students are billed every year on their fall tuition bill for the school health insurance. Students starting in the spring semester will be billed at a reduced rate for the spring semester.

All international students are required to keep the school-offered medical insurance.

For students who are US citizens, if you already have your own insurance and you wish to waive the school insurance, through the directives of Student Financial Services you will need to complete an online waiver each year and show evidence of coverage by a private policy that provides benefits in this area.  To waive the school insurance click here.

We encourage the students to carry their insurance card with them or have a picture of the front and back of their insurance card on their phone in the event they need medical care outside the Wellness Center.

The student is responsible for obtaining his own transportation if he needs health services off campus. Often times a student is able to drive himself or has a friend who can take him. Other times a student may end up taking a taxi or calling Uber or in some cases, if necessary, an ambulance may need to be called.

We understand that this is a difficult issue for parents, but once a student reaches the age of 18, he or she has legal confidentiality rights to his or her medical information.

There is no form for a student to fill out for a release of his or her medical information. Instead, we are happy to talk to any parent on a case-by-case basis with the student’s permission. 

We are pro-parent and if there is a health issue that is more concerning, most times it is the Nurse Practitioner who is reaching out and asking the student during the visit if the student would like the NP to talk with his parent.  A 3-way conversation is then had with the parent, student and NP using the student’s cell phone on speaker.

Belmont Abbey College operates on the honor system, therefore the Wellness Center does not write medical excuses for students. Students must notify their professors themselves if they need to miss a class due to illness.

The NCAA requires that ALL athletes show results of a sickle cell screen test.  

*All new freshmen and transfer athletes should upload their sickle cell results to the Athletic Training Department website.

The sickle cell test results should not be sent to the Wellness Center.

Screening for sickle cell disease is commonly done as a newborn. The Athletic Training website lists various ways to see if you have already had testing done and how to obtain the results to upload to the Athletic Training website, otherwise, testing can be repeated if necessary, preferably when the athlete is getting his physical by his primary care physician prior to the start of school.

People with sickle cell trait are at a higher risk for heat-related illness/heat stroke. Knowledge of sickle cell trait status prior to sports participation does not disqualify the athlete from participation; it allows for simple precautions to help prevent complications.

 

For more information about Sickle Cell trait/disease visit this website.

 

Local Emergency Departments:

Caromont Regional Medical Center-Gastonia

704-834-2000

2525 Court Dr.
Gastonia, NC 28054

Caromont Regional Medical Center- Mt. Holly (free-standing ER)

980-834-2266

451 E. Charlotte, Ave.
Mt. Holly, NC 28210

Local Urgent Cares:

CaroMont Urgent Care- Belmont

980-834-8800

1223 Spruce St.
Belmont, NC 28012

Open daily 8:00am-7:30pm 

Atrium Health Urgent Care- Belmont

704-631-1820

420 Park St., Suite 105
Belmont, NC 28012

Open daily 8:00am-8:00pm

  • Emergency/Ambulance/Fire: 911

  • BAC Campus Safety: 704-400-6200

  • BAC Health Services: 704-461-6877

  • BAC counseling services:  704-461-5065

  • Poison Control of North Carolina: 1-704-355-4000

  • National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

  • Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

What symptoms must students exhibit to not attend class? If you have a fever, chills, body aches, or significant cough, call the Wellness Center at 704-461-6877 to make an appointment. 

What if I am not feeling well or may have symptoms? If you have been diagnosed with covid or if you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath, call your physician if he is local or call the Wellness Center 704-461-6877 to make an appointment.

At the onset of any symptoms or to notify the college of a positive test please email Belmont Abbey College at BACCOVID19@bac.edu. Please include the date of the onset of symptoms and, if applicable, the test date.

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