Health Care at Camp

VACCINATIONS

Camp Ramah New England requires all of our campers and staff to be fully immunized according to the standards of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC.

The following vaccinations are required for all campers:

  • DTaP vaccine: 5 doses. (In Israel, 4 doses are given by 12 months and then a Tdap at age 7.)
  • Polio vaccine: 4 doses, final dose after age 4. (In Israel, 4 doses are given at by 12 months and another is given in 2nd grade.)
  • Hepatitis B: 3 doses. (In Israel this is routine.)
  • MMR: 2 doses, 1st one after 12 months. (In Israel this is routine.)
  • Varicella: 2 doses, 1st one after 12 months. (In Israel this is routine.)

For campers ages 11 and older, the following additional vaccines are also required:

  • Tdap: 1 dose by age 12. (In Israel one dose is given in 2nd grade and one in 8th grade.)
  • MENINGOCOCCAL vaccine (MenACWY). (In Israel this vaccination is currently not routine until entering the IDF.)

Please click here for our Covid vaccination policy.

HEALTH CARE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Our medical and nursing staff are trained to focus on the health of all our hanichim (campers). Our staff responds to any identified medical or emotional issues, provides excellent care and communicates promptly with parents and guardians as appropriate. Upon their return home, we suggest you check in with your child and, if there are any changes in, or concerns about, their health, you contact your personal medical professionals and also communicate with us. We look forward to continuing the caring partnership we value as caretakers of your children.

The staff of the mirpa’ah (health center) — we call it the Marp for short — will contact families if:

  • your child spends the night at the health center (example: with fever)
  • your child has to leave camp for any medical reason (example: to get an x-ray)
  • your child needs to start a prescription medication (example: antibiotic)
  • your child is diagnosed with a concussion
  • your child needs stitches

If your child is checked into our health center prior to 10:00 PM, you will be contacted that evening. If your child is checked into our health center late at night, you will be contacted as soon as possible the next day. If there is an emergency on Shabbat, we will contact you; non-urgent communication will take place after Shabbat.

If your child needs immediate medical attention, the local emergency medical services will be contacted, and/or transportation will be provided to a local hospital. A Camp Ramah staff member will always accompany children to the hospital.

HEAD LICE

It is important that your child be screened for head lice by medical professionals, or by you if you know how, prior to coming to camp. Hanichim are checked for lice on the first day of camp. If a hanich arrives at camp with nits or a live infestation, they will be isolated in the mirpa’ah until no nits are found. Hanichim will not be allowed into the tzrifim with nits or a live infestation. Camp may hire a nit-picker to care for campers with lice. Any hanichim who arrive at camp with lice, requiring treatment by our tzevet (staff-members), will be charged a $300 treatment fee.

For more information on head lice, including preventative measures, you can log on to WWW.HEADLICE.ORG, the official website of the National Pediculosis Association.

X-RAYS / LAB TESTS

Children who need x-rays or lab tests will be taken to a local hospital (usually Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer, an affiliate of Baystate Medical Center). The hospital will be given the parents’ insurance information to cover the cost of the procedures.

DENTAL WORK

In the event your child needs dental treatment, we will arrange a visit and transport them to a local dentist. Camp Ramah will pay for the cost of the services provided at the time of the visit, and we will charge your credit card on file in CampMinder so that we may be reimbursed. Camp accident insurance does not cover dental work.

EYEGLASSES

Children who wear eyeglasses should bring an extra pair with them to camp, labeled with their full name. Please include a copy of your child’s eyeglass prescription with his/her medical form. In the event your child requires the services of an eye doctor, we will arrange transportation to a local practitioner. Camp Ramah will pay this bill for the services provided at the time of the visit, and we will charge your credit card on file in CampMinder so that we many be reimbursed. Camp accident insurance does not cover the repair or replacement of eyeglasses.

ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Camp Ramah carries accident insurance, which covers all hanichim. This is SECONDARY, supplemental insurance coverage only. It pays for those expenses or portions of expenses NOT covered by health insurance carried by the hanich’s own family. The insurance carried by the hanich’s family is applied to any medical expenses before the camp’s insurance. Our insurance does not cover eyeglass repair/replacement or dental work. In the case of an accident, the following steps must be taken to ensure proper handling of insurance payments:

  1. All doctor bills will be mailed to you directly. Hospital bills may be sent either to you or your insurance company.
  2. Please process all bills through your insurance company first.
  3. After you have heard from your insurance company, please forward a copy of the original bill and a copy of either the official payment statement stating the portion of the bill your insurance company has paid, or a copy of the denial of the claim, to the camp office. Do not pay the unpaid difference yourself. Our insurance company will only reimburse the health care provider.
  4. Our insurance company will pay the unpaid difference (up to $1,000.00 per occurrence).

Please take care of all bills promptly and keep accurate records. The deadline for submitting bills to our insurance company for reimbursement is December 15th. In the case of illness, you are responsible and must look to your health insurance coverage for payment since Camp Ramah’s policy only covers accidents.

MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE AND CAMP ATTENDEES

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires all summer camps to share this document, “Meningococcal Disease and Camp Attendees: Commonly Asked Questions,” with all parents. You may click here to access the document.