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Communicable Disease Policy

Date:  9/10/90
Revision Date:  8/30/04

PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy is to:

                        Safeguard the welfare of students, staff and visitors.

                        Maintain the operations of the university in an effective and efficient manner.

                        Inform and advise the university community.

                        Establish operating procedures appropriate to all constituents of the university community.

SCOPE:
The Policy shall be implemented for communicable diseases commonly found in the college population and which can be transmitted by air, object, or through casual contact.  Examples of these communicable diseases are:

Rubella - 3-day measles                       Hepatitis A           
Rubeola - 9-day measles                      Meningitis - viral and bacterial
Varicella – Chicken Pox                         Tuberculosis (TB)
Influenza                                            Mononucleosis                                           

The scope of this policy shall also include other communicable diseases that pose risks similar to the diseases listed above and which would put the university community at risk.  Concerns regarding Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are addressed via the university SARS Response Team information page.

Excluded from this policy are communicable diseases transmitted through sexual contact, or through needle use, such as Hepatitis B and HIV.  These issues are addressed via IUP’s Affirmative Action Statement as well as the campus HIV Policy


OBJECTIVE:
The objectives of the Communicable Disease Policy are to:

Define communicable disease.

Announce reporting requirements.

Announce individual and group responsibilities in the presence of a reported communicable disease.

Recommend a system of education and information for members of the community regarding communicable diseases.


POLICY:
It is the policy of the university to safeguard the welfare of students and employees while maintaining the operations of the university in an effective and efficient manner in the event of a report of communicable disease.  The university shall establish operating procedures appropriate to all constituents of the university community and inform and advise the university community about procedures for dealing with communicable diseases, while complying with state and federal laws regarding both privacy and disease reporting. 


DEFINITIONS:
The following definitions pertain to this policy:

Communicable Disease – A communicable disease is an illness due to a specific infectious agent or its toxic produces which can be transmitted from one individual to another.  A communicable disease may be transmitted directly from one body to another without the aide of other objects, e.g., kissing, sexual contact, droplet spray from sneezing, coughing, spitting, singing or talking.  It may be transmitted indirectly when an object transmits the organism.  Objects of transmission may be clothing, linens, utensils, food, water, milk, air, soil or insects. 

Communicable Period – The communicable period is that period of time or times during which the infectious agent may be transferred directly or indirectly from an infected person to another person.

It is the responsibility of all affected parties to report all communicable diseases to the Student Health Service Director.  The Student Health Service Director shall notify the Vice President for Student Affairs, who shall in turn notify the President when a communicable disease threatens the university community.


RESPONSIBILITIES:
It is the responsibility of certified and licensed health officials, external to the university, to provide a confirmed diagnosis to the appropriate university sources when a university student or employee is known to have a confirmed diagnosis of a communicable disease.

It is the responsibility of the Student Health Service to report specific communicable diseases to the appropriate public health agencies in accordance with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania health laws.

The responsibility for coordination of the implementation of the Communicable Disease policy shall be shared among the following groups:

Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
Student Health Services
Office of Human Resources
Office of Housing and Residence Life
Office of Housekeeping Director
Office of Safety/Police
Office of Institutional Advancement/Office of Media Relations
Office of Director of Physical Plant

When deemed appropriate by the Vice President for Student Affairs, it is the responsibility of the Office of Media Relations to publicly announce that an epidemic of a communicable disease has been confirmed, and to state the related facts that serve to inform and protect the university community.


PROCEDURES:
Procedures for treating currently enrolled students with communicable diseases:

1.  Student Health Service staff shall examine students suspected of having a communicable disease and determine appropriate medical care based upon confirmed diagnosis.
 

2.  If a student has been diagnosed as having a communicable disease by the Student Health Service staff or other medical agency, a Health Service physician shall determine if the student should return home.  If the student is unable to leave campus, the Director of Housing and Residence Life (or his/her designee) shall make provisions to isolate the student on campus, as quickly as possible.  While arrangements are being made about location of isolation, the student shall remain in observation at the Student Health Service.  These options, returning the student home or keeping the student in isolation on campus, are intended to prevent the spread of the communicable disease.  The preferred practice shall be to return the student to his/her home of record if at all possible.  If the student resides off campus, arrangements should be made to get the student transported to his/her home of record for continued care and convalescence.  If a student resides off campus and is unable to return to their home of record, yet must remain isolated, the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs will attempt to assist the student with locating satisfactory accommodations as possible.  The university will not assume any financial responsibility for housing in off-campus locations.
 

3.  In the event that a student with a communicable disease must remain in isolation, the Student Health Center Director, or his/her designee, shall, in consultation with the Vice President for Student Affairs, determine the extent of the involvement of the other major university offices in the management of the communicable disease.  This decision will be based upon the Director and Vice President’s evaluations of the risk to the university community.  Major university offices may include:  Housing & Residence Life, Physical Plant, Housekeeping, University Safety/Police, Institutional Advancement/Office of Media Relations, and Human Resources.  The directors of each of these offices shall be contacted.  These individuals shall implement plans to care for the infected student and to maintain a safe and orderly campus environment.

a.   The Director of the Office of Housing and Residence Life shall announce the location in which the student is convalescing to all appropriate parties within the Office of the Housing and Residence Life.

The Office of Housing and Residence Life shall advise its staff of procedures to be used in communication with the infected student and in serving the residential needs of the infected student with the assistance of the Student Health Service.

The Director of the Office of Housing and Residence Life shall be responsible for coordinating food services for the infected student during the convalescent period in isolation in university housing.  The Student Health Service shall issue the student a meal pass, if necessary, prior to isolation.

b.   The Director of the Housekeeping Department shall arrange for routine and special custodial services for the area in which the student is convalescing, if necessary.  The Director of Housekeeping shall be responsible for informing all housekeeping staff who are assigned to the isolation area of the diagnosis and mode of transmission of the disease.  The Director of Housekeeping, with the assistance of Student Health Service, shall inform the custodial staff of the recommended methods of self-protection that should be used in carrying out routine and special custodial service.

c.   The Director of Physical Plant shall, with the assistance of Student Health Service, inform maintenance and trades persons who are assigned, or may be assigned, of the area in which the infected person is convalescing, and of the recommended methods of self-protection should maintenance and trades persons come into contact with the infected person.

d.   The Director of University Safety/Police shall, with the assistance of the Student Health Service, inform the police officers that a person with a communicable disease is convalescing on campus.  The director shall provide the police officers with information about the disease, the location where the student is convalescing, and the recommended methods of self-protection should the campus police come into contact with the infected person.

e.   The Director of Health Services shall be responsible for notifying the Office of Disabled Student Services of the incident and requesting that the necessary academic faculty and staff be advised.

f.    The Director of Media Relations, or his/her designee, shall prepare appropriate news releases and coordinate public relations inquiries.

g.   The Office of Human Resources shall be responsible for mediating the labor-relations issues that may arise as a result of the university’s caring for a person with a communicable disease.

4.  In all cases, the Vice President for Student Affairs shall inform the Director of Human Resources of his/her decision relative to Item #3 above.

5.  Before a student is discharged from isolation and before the student may return to classes at the university, he/she must be examined by a Student Health Service staff physician.  When a student convalesces at home, he/she shall visit the Student Health Service and provide a statement of non-communicability from his/her family physician before returning to campus.  Students being isolated on campus or in the local community shall be informed at the time of their isolation about the procedures for returning to campus and/or requesting assistance with campus needs prior to their release from isolation.  The physician shall certify that the student is no longer infectious to others and that the student presents no risk to the university community.  The Director of Health Services shall notify appropriate parties that the student has been released from care and may return to campus. 

Procedures for managing university employees with communicable diseases:
1.  It is the responsibility of an employee who has a confirmed communicable disease to report that
    information to the university for the health and safety of the university community, the employee is
    expected to remain off work until the risk of infecting others has ended and until he/she can return
    to full duties.

2.  Any employee who has a communicable disease, and reports off sick as a result of the disease shall be required to present a doctor’s certificate to his/her supervisor before being permitted to return to work.  The doctor’s certificate must certify that the employee poses no risk to the university community as a result of the communicable disease.

a.   The employee’s supervisor shall report the incident to the Office of Human Resources.  The office of Human Resources shall inform the Director of Health Services.  The Director, in consultation with the Vice President for Student Affairs shall determine the extent of the involvement of other major university offices in the management of the communicable disease.  This decision will be based upon the Director and Vice President’s evaluation of the risk to the university community.  Major university offices may include:  Housing and Residence Life, Physical Plant, Housekeeping, University Safety/Police, and Institutional Advancement/ Office of Media Relations.  The directors of these offices shall implement plans to maintain a safe and orderly campus environment.

Procedures for managing an epidemic among participants in university programs, camps or
conferences:
1.  Responsible adults working with participants enrolled in infant day care, preschool programs or in
    university sponsored camps or conferences shall contact the Director of Health Services when the
    occurrence of a communicable disease has been confirmed

2.  The Director of Health Services shall consult with the Vice President of Student Affairs

     to determine the extent of the involvement of other major university offices in the management

     of the communicable disease.  This decision will be based upon the Director and Vice President’s

     evaluation of the risk to the university community.  Major university offices may include:  Housing 

     and Residence Life, Physical Plant, Housekeeping, University Safety/Police, Institutional

     Advancement/Office of Media Relations, and Human Resources.  The directors of these offices

     shall implement plans to maintain a safe and orderly campus environment.
 

3.  Prior to returning to the program, the participant shall be required to present a doctor’s certificate to the program supervisor, certifying that they are no longer contagious to others and present no risk to the university community.  The decision to terminate the program will be made by the program director in consultation with the Student Health Service Director and the appropriate division Vice President.

Procedures for establishing employee awareness about the campus communicable disease policy:
1. The Office of Human Resources shall oversee employee awareness regarding the campus
    communicable disease policy.  Awareness shall include but not be limited to:

      a.    Overview of Communicable Disease Policy during new employee orientation.
     
      b.    Information regarding the location of the written policy and contact information regarding
             questions related to the policy will be available.

2.   Information regarding the campus communicable disease policy will be provided annually for all other employees via the university’s web page and electronic mail communication systems. 

Procedures for establishing university wide awareness regarding the communicable disease policy:
1.  The Office of Human Resources shall oversee general university awareness regarding the
     campus communicable disease policy.  Awareness shall include but not be limited to:

     a.   The written campus policy will be available daily via the university web page.

     b.   Information regarding the campus communicable disease policy will be provided annually  
           via the university’s web page, and electronic mail communication systems.

     c.    Information will be included in the student handbook (The Source) regarding the campus
           communicable disease policy.

2.  The Student Employment Center will oversee student employee awareness regarding the campus communicable disease policy.  Awareness shall include, but not be limited to:

a.  Overview of Communicable Disease Policy during new student employee orientation.

b.  Information regarding the location of the written policy and contact information regarding questions related to the policy will be available.