At Health Services, we strive to provide students with high-quality care. We support your individual journey towards health.

University Health Services (UHS) is appointment based with limited availability for walk-in care. Walk-in patients will be offered the next available appointment time for that day. If no appointment times are available, the patient will be contacted by a triage provider to assess the student’s need. In the event of an urgent need the patient will be assessed by a triage provider and booked an appointment based on their findings. Sometimes, patients will be referred to an urgent care center or emergency department by a triage provider for more in-depth assessment or specialized care. Especially if radiology is indicated, as imaging is not available on campus.

Please contact the office to schedule an appointment. We offer both in-person and telehealth appointments. Let us know if you will need accommodations to schedule, or participate in, your appointment.

All consent forms and insurance information must be completed and entered prior to an appointment. Instructions on form completion and insurance upload will be sent to the student via secure message prior to your appointment. Students can also opt-in to text alerts. Text alerts are sent to the cell number entered in the student’s health record:

  1. Each time a secure message is sent to their account.
  2. 24 hours before a scheduled appointment

Students may opt in or opt out at any time by logging into their health record. Links can be found on the Mycampus portal under USM Quick Links in the navigation panel, or below.

Patient Portal

Eligibility:

In order to qualify for care at UHS, students must be actively enrolled in at least one course, and active (as defined by the registrar) in their program of study. New students must wait until the term activation date for the semester they are starting at USM. 

  1. Fall: August 15
  2. Winter: January 1
  3. Spring: January 15
  4. Summer: May 15

Students who have graduated, transferred to another institution, or withdrawn from the university are no longer eligible for care. Those who are ineligible for services may receive resources for local health care options.

Privacy:

We take privacy very seriously. All visits are private and confidential. No health information will be shared without the written consent of the student, except as required or allowed by law. Use the link below to view our privacy policy. A copy of this policy can also be found in the student’s health record.

Privacy Policy

Minor Consent:

University Health Services encourages parents of students who:

  1. are minors (under the age of 18)
  2. who have guardianship of their adult children
  3. or medical power of attorney of their adult children

This form should be completed prior to the student attending USM to prevent delays in care. Parents/Guardians can find a copy of our minor consent form below. Send completed forms to:

University Health Services
37 College Avenue
156 Upton Hall
Gorham, ME 04038
Fax: 207-780-4911

Minor Consent Form

Services Available:

We offer a wide range of primary care services including, but not limited to:

This is an opportunity for us to get to know the student and for the student to establish care with us. Also known as an annual exam, wellness exam, or physical. Our healthcare team uses these appointments to check a student’s overall health, review medical history, and discover new medical problems needing addressing. We follow evidence-based guidelines around health and wellness to keep the student healthy while studying/living here at the University of Southern Maine.

Our healthcare team can diagnose and treat viral and bacterial infections, including urinary tract infections, strep throat, influenza, mononucleosis, COVID-19, the common cold, and a host of other ailments. In house rapid tests can be used in diagnosing, and if necessary, typing or verification via lab sample. We can also help manage asthma, seasonal allergy symptoms, and stomach pain/gastroenteritis. In addition to these services, we can also assess rashes, headaches, sprains, cuts, abrasions, and remove stitches. Providers can prescribe medications as needed, order lab work, and imaging to assist in a diagnosis. Referrals to specialists can also be sent, as needed.

Samples are sent to our laboratory partner, Quest Diagnostics.

Imaging/Radiology is referred out to community partners

Our healthcare team works with students to select the best option for their individual needs. If a specific contraceptive option isn’t available in the office, our team can refer the student to a facility that provides that service. In the past, we have partnered with local health offices such as Planned Parenthood, Coastal Women’s Health, and other OB-GYN specialty offices. 

Even if a student is not ready to begin a contraceptive, book an appointment with our team to discuss options and get more information. 

If you’re having sex…
If you’re thinking about having sex…
If you are engaging in oral or anal or vaginal or other genital skin to skin activity…

You should be tested at least once for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 50% of young adults will get an STD by the time they’re 25 and most won’t know it. The good news is that UHS can test and treat you.  There are many ways to test for STDs. 

At UHS we can screen and test for the following STDs:

  • Chlamydia
  • Gonorrhea
  • Syphilis
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Herpes
  • HPV
  • Hepatitis
  • Trichomoniasis
  • Bacterial Vaginosis
  • Scabies
  • Pubic Lice
  • Molluscom Contagiosum

UHS can provide medical treatment for most STD/Is. Our services are confidential, as defined by law. When applicable, we will connect students with local resources for prompt care. We also offer free condoms (internal and external), dental dams and lubricant. Birth control consultations and access to emergency contraception are also available.

  • Overall genital health (vaginal, penile, testicular exams)
  • Vaginal/Anal PAPs
  • Gender Affirming Care
  • Pregnancy testing
  • Vaginal hygiene

We provide some immunizations in the office and offer expert advice prior to international travel. These consultations are available to all students of the university but are designed with nursing students and study abroad programs in mind. Our team can complete required paperwork necessary for your program/abroad travel. Please review all paperwork prior to scheduling an appointment with our office. Some travel papers require immunizations to be signed off on. If we do not have your immunization records, you will need to bring them with you to your appointment. 

Our recommendation is to schedule your appointment six to eight weeks before your travel date, in case you require a schedule of vaccines and to ensure you have all necessary documentation prior to travelling.

Not all required vaccinations are available in our clinic. There may be instances where our provider will send a prescription to a pharmacy of your choosing for administration.

Our office can provide a small selection of vaccines in-house and can send a prescription to a pharmacy for all others. We hold annual influenza vaccine clinics in the Fall Semester on the Gorham, Law, Portland, and Lewiston/Auburn campuses. At the conclusion of these clinics, the vaccine becomes available in our offices by appointment.

Currently, UHS can provide:

  • MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
  • TDAP (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Influenza (Flulaval Quadrivalent)

Students who need immunizations for program requirements, immunization law requirements, or just want to discuss if vaccination is right for them, book an appointment with our office.

UHS partners with Quest Diagnostics (Quest) to perform laboratory tests on in-house collected blood, urine, and other samples. We can only provide services for those tests that Quest can process. If a test is not available through Quest, we cannot collect samples. In these cases, a laboratory order can be sent to any other laboratory facility that offers the required testing. Students will need to have the sample collection performed at that facility.

Students seeking lab services at USM will need to bring a lab order with them from an outside provider, or they will need to see one of our providers for assessment and orders. Primary Care Physicians can send orders to our office via fax or give them to the student to bring with them to their appointment.

As part of the Tobacco-Free Campus Initiative, and being a healthcare facility, our team can connect students with resources to quit their dependence on nicotine-containing products. These resources include access to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), smoking cessation programs, and other tools to help you kick the cravings. This may include a referral to the Maine Center for Tobacco Independence which offers prescription management for NRT, coaching, and connection to additional healthcare options.

While the use of traditional tobacco products is on the decline thanks to anti-tobacco campaigns, we are seeing a sharp increase in nicotine use in e-cigarettes and/or vapes in the middle school (3.5%), high school (7.8%), and adult populations (4.5%). About 3 in 10 or adults and minors who vape, also use another nicotine containing product. (statistics from USCDC)

You can learn more about nicotine dependence at:

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/e-cigarettes/index.html

Whether you smoke traditional tobacco products, chew, dip, or vape, UHS can help. Schedule an appointment with a member of our clinical team to find out how.

Throughout the academic year, our team engages with the USM community in several educational campaigns on campus. These educational engagements are supplementary to our role as healthcare providers. Typically, these are structured activities with dates and times we will be present at or hosting. Educational outreach includes:

  • Contribute to the FreePress column: “Working on Wellness”. 
  • Healthcare in the Halls
  • Monthly Newsletters
  • Weeks of Welcome
  • Orientation Events
  • Annual Health and Wellness Fair
  • Spread Love, Not STDs
  • Brought to You By Health Services and other social media campaigns
  • Guest lecture in classes
  • Destress Fest

Our team also maintains a social media presence. We have an active Facebook and Instagram account. Follow us to see specialized posts, announcements, tours of the clinics, and see our office mascot, Beverly.

A Registered Dietician, is available through Sodexo for free nutritional counseling.  Any student with nutritional concerns or questions regarding healthy eating, weight issues, special diets (such as vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free) or general nutrition is encouraged to make an appointment.  Hours and days vary, so please contact UHS for more information. A referral from UHS is required.

UHS can also refer to local external partners for diet and nutrition consultation, weight management, and other services. Book an appointment with a provider in our office to discuss your needs.

COVID-19 Support

The University of Maine System policies and guidelines around COVID-19 prevention and safety can be viewed at the UMS Together for Maine website. 

  • Students who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 may contact health services to schedule an appointment for testing.
  • Staff/Faculty who are experincing symptoms of COVID-19 should connect with their supervisor or HR. Staff/Faculty should also contact their PCP or nearest urgent care center. 

The University of Maine System does not provide routine asymptomatic testing . Anyone who is NOT experiencing symptoms but would like to test, should contact your PCP or check out the State of Maine COVID-19 testing website. State of Maine COVID-19 Testing 

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Effective with the May 2023 term and going forward, the University strongly encourages all students, employees, and visitors to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots when eligible.  COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are recommended to prevent severe cases of COVID-19.

M-Pox Information

Maine CDC M-Pox