Medical staff are on ranch 7 days a week between 7:00 Am and 10:00 PM. There are usually two medical tech's scheduled both AM and PM shifts. In addition, we have a Manager and Administrative Medical Assistant in the office Monday through Friday. Specially trained Night Watch staff follow through with any instructions we leave regarding students who may need watching or special attention during the night. The Medical Department always has an RN on call 24/7 for support.
No. The students can purchase those items from the ranch commissary with their ledger dollars. If a student has an issue with skin or hair that requires medical attention, he/she can make a request to the medical department. If a special need is identified, the product is ordered from the pharmacy.
Yes. If a student is placed in sick bay during the day, parents are notified as soon as the medical staff have evaluated the student and have enough information to provide an accurate report. If a student has a temperature of 102 or greater, or if urgent care is recommended by the RN or Doctor, parents are notified immediately.
Our practitioner (either MD or PA) continues the prescriptions that come with the students and follows up on their health care needs in our on-ranch clinic. We use a local pharmacy to fill prescriptions. The pharmacist will contact the parent directly to make necessary arrangements for billing. (On occasion, a parent may have to mail medications to the ranch. We will make those arrangements when necessary.)
The ranch will make appointments as necessary and will accompany the student to and from all appointments. Our Administrative Assistant, at ext. 117, assists the parents with this process.
The new student will have an intake physical (with our MD or PA) within a week or two of arrival. This will include some routine labs. The cost of the physical is deducted from the medical retainer. The lab company will bill separately. The cost of all additional visits to the on-ranch clinic is substantially less and also deducted from the medical retainer.
All students in the initial component are weighed weekly and receive daily vitamins. After completion of the first component, students are weighed monthly. Any student identified with a weight issue will be weighed on a weekly basis until it resolves. We can place students on extra portions, half portions, or occasionally, protein supplement drinks. These are only authorized when medically indicated. All food is carefully prepared under the direction of a registered dietitian & nutritionist to provide the proper amount of calories for the student's age, sex, and state of health.
With few exceptions, the student is allowed two supplements of the parents’ choosing which are ordered from the local pharmacy, unless they are unavailable. In those few cases, the parents may send them.
We are situated between two small cities only a few minutes apart. Both cities provide emergency services such as ambulance, fire, police, and paramedics which can reach the ranch in 6-10 minutes from either direction - similar to response times of neighborhoods in larger cities.
