Brown Student Health Services offers both routine and urgent in-person primary care services, including:

• General Medical Care: Treatment for illnesses and injuries, routine medical care, and urgent care for acute needs.
• Preventive Care: Physical exams, immunizations, and general wellness.
• Specialized Services: Sexual and reproductive healthcare, STI testing, mental health medication management, gender services, travel medicine, dermatology, and nutrition counseling.

On-Site Resources

• For convenience, SHS also provides an on-site pharmacy, lab, and X-ray services.  The counseling and psychological services (CAPS) is co-located with Student Health Services on the same floor inside the Health and Wellness Center.  

Clinical Staff

• The medical staff includes physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, medical assistants and a registered dietitian.

Cost of Care

All visits to Student Health Services providers are covered by enrolled students’ health and wellness fee. There are neither copay nor insurance bills generated for students receiving direct primary care by one of the Student Health Services clinicians.  

However, your health insurance (including the Student Health Insurance Plan)  is responsible for covering costs for:

• Lab work and prescriptions.
• Diagnostic testing (such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs).
• Visits to specialists outside of SHS.
• Ancillary medical services such as physical and occupational therapy, acupuncture, vision screening.

If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please call 401-863-3953 to speak with a Health Services representative about care and appointments.  A nurse is always available to speak to you by phone  to guide how you may be best served. During the academic year, we have appointments available 7 days a week.  

• Currently enrolled students can access clinical advice 24 hours a day by calling our main number, 401-863-3953.
• Emergencies: For emergencies, EMS services are also available 24/7 by calling 401-863-4111.

If you have insurance other than the Student Health Insurance Plan(SHIP), we strongly encourage you to confirm which local labs are covered inside your insurance network before your appointment to avoid unexpected costs.

How to Check Your Lab Coverage

• Call your insurance company using the customer service number on your card.
  • Ask if Brown University Health Laboratory (formerly Lifespan) is a covered, in-network entity.
  • The address to provide for the lab is: 146 West River Street, Providence, RI 02904.
• If Brown University Health Laboratory is not covered, ask your insurer for the name and address of an alternative "in-network" lab in the Providence area (zip codes to use are 02903 or 02906).
• If Brown University Health Laboratory is not covered, you will be responsible for charges and fees associated with obtaining lab work at a non-covered lab.
• Our insurance specialist can also assist you in finding an alternative in-network lab. If you have questions, please email studenthealthinsuranceplan@brown.edu or call 401-863-1703.

All incoming student requirements are listed in detail, at this website https://healthservices.brown.edu/health-requirements 

Yes, the Student Health Services pharmacy is located on the ground floor of the Student Health & Wellness Center at 450 Brook Street, Providence, RI 02906, and can be reached at 401-863-7882. Our pharmacy carries a wide array of over the counter and prescription medications in stock and can order most other medications. Our medications are usually priced at or below the cost at other community pharmacies. Over the counter pain medication, cold and cough medication, humidifiers, thermometers, digestive remedies, first aid supplies, wound care, lotions and sunscreens, etc are available for purchase as well. 

We can fill most of your prescriptions as long as we have an electronically transmitted or telephone order from your provider (so long as they are a clinician licensed in the United States) or we can transfer refills from the pharmacy that originally filled the prescription.

Call ahead anytime to refill your prescription and we will have it ready when you arrive during open hours. If a prescription has no refills, you may need to schedule an appointment with your provider for a new prescription before obtaining more medication.

For the pharmacists to transfer any remaining refills on your previous prescription(s) to the Brown Student Pharmacy, you will need to call or stop by the pharmacy and give us:

•  your name, student ID number and date of birth
• your previous pharmacy's name and phone number

• the name(s) of the medication(s) you want transferred, and the prescription number(s) if you have them. 

  The transfer process may take up to 24 hours during busy times, or if the medication needs ordering.

Please ask your pharmacy to call the Brown University Pharmacy at (401) 863-7882 and the pharmacists will transfer the prescription along with any valid refill(s).

Our nursing staff is available to assist with physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant ordered injections.

We administer a variety of therapeutic medications (e.g., B12, hormones, etc., if applicable) when ordered by your outside medical provider or by a Health Services provider.

We administer most allergy injections ordered by your outside allergist or physician.

Important Exclusions: We cannot administer immunotherapy for bee, wasp, or insect sting allergies, or injections ordered from outside the U.S. We are happy to provide local allergist referrals in these cases.

The Health fee is a mandatory fee paid per semester by all actively enrolled, degree-seeking students. This fee covers all services provided in person and through telehealth by the medical providers at Student Health Services, therapists and psychiatrists at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and by the staff at BWell Health Promotion. There are also benefits such as 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-week nursing advice, on-call physicians, and CAPS after-hours services.

The Health Fee does not cover charges for lab tests sent to diagnostic laboratories, pharmacy charges, x-ray imaging (including lab, pharmacy and x-ray located inside the Health and Wellness Center), transport by any ambulance other than Brown EMS, durable medical equipment (such as canes, crutches, or braces), or any visits to providers outside of Student Health Services (including consultants, specialists, hospitals and surgical centers). These tests and services would be charged to SHIP or to your alternative health insurance with the co-pay structure outlined in your policy.

Visit the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) page for full details regarding selecting or waiving SHIP. 

All Brown students have a confidential relationship with their clinicians at Student Health and Wellness.  This design is set by law, and underpinned by the philosophy that each student may speak openly,  honestly and confidentially to a clinician about any subject without concern about repercussions.  Many students might avoid medical support if they had concern that their individual protected health information could be shared outside of the confidential environment. Nonetheless,  students are routinely encouraged to have open conversations with their parents and and/or family regarding any important health-related issues that may be impactful.  Clinicians are only permitted to speak directly to family members when the student has given permission to do so (usually in writing), or when the clinician feels that they must speak with immediate family members in the context of emergency circumstances.

Student Health Services complies with state and federal laws protecting the health information of students and each individual is in charge of how their medical information is disclosed. If your student gives us permission, we are then authorized to talk with you about their health concerns. Please note: we do not accept "blanket releases" or "global waivers". Each specific instance of care requires separate permission from a student to speak with a parent or family member.

Parents may not access their student's medical records directly.  The student may request their own medical records and then may choose to share them with family members at their discretion.

Health information may be shared with families when the student has specifically made this request.  Please note that for serious life threatening situations, or if your student is unconscious and unable to make a decision, we are able to and will discuss confidential health information with you to ensure the safety of your student.

Brown Student Health Services assists students in coordinating and with the scheduling of referrals to community specialists. Essentially, Student Health Services acts as a partner to ensure a smooth transition from your care here to the specialist you need to see in the community.

The clinical staff may reach out and seek communication with a student’s primary care or specialty providers whenever such coordination is necessary for optimal care or continuity of services.