Recently there have been several documented cases of Zika virus in infants born with microcephaly in Brazil. This has warranted the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to issue a travel alert to regions with Zika virus outbreaks, including parts of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Samoa, and Cape Verde. Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant are advised to postpone travel to areas with Zika virus transmission. Travelers should also take precaution to prevent mosquito bites.

To date, there have been no local cases of Zika virus, nor any originating in the continental United States, but there have been some cases among returning travelers. According to the CDC, with the recent outbreaks and the number of cases increasing among travelers returning the United States, it is difficult to determine how widely the virus will spread.

For more information, see the CDC page on Zika virus.

Sincerely,

Kathleen M. Malara MSN, FNP
Executive Director, University Health Services

For more on the Zika virus, hear biology professor Tom Daniels, co-director of Fordham’s Vector Ecology Laboratory.

The accreditation guarantees that Student Health Services meets the criteria set by the AAAHC in areas including patient rights, administration, infection prevention and clinical records and health information.

“When parents are looking at schools for their children and they see that the health services are accredited just like a hospital, it shows that that health services live up to a certain standard of care,” said Kathleen Malara, FNP-BC, director of student health services.

“They can rest assured that the staff members there are listening to patient grievances, are looking at processes to make sure they’re being done correctly… and making sure our facilities in general are not only clean—but safe,” she added.

By receiving a three-year accreditation—the longest term any health center can achieve—Student Health Services demonstrated that the AAAHC had no reservations about the quality of care provided at the clinic.

“It’s a very stringent and a very arduous process,” Malara said. “You have to have a lot of information in place before you can even apply.”

Not only does the achievement offer an outward sign of Student Health Services’ sterling reputation, it has also caught the attention of other Jesuit schools, she said. She’s heard from Loyola University and Boston College seeking to find out more about the process.

— Joanna Klimaski