TB Testing and Immunization Policy
Bastyr University enacted these policies to protect the health and safety of clinic employees, student clinicians and others who may be exposed to certain biohazards in the campus and clinic working environments.
Screening and testing for tuberculosis (TB) is a key strategy for controlling and preventing infection at Bastyr's teaching clinics. Early detection provides an opportunity to promote the health of affected individuals through prompt diagnosis and treatment while preventing potential spread to others. Implementation of a screening and testing program not only addresses this public health concern in campus communities but also contributes to the larger public health goal of reducing the burden of TB in the United States.
Immunization against vaccine preventable diseases is also an important strategy for controlling and preventing infection at Bastyr University as well as to protect our patients, many of whom are immunocompromised. Bastyr’s immunization recommendations align with CDC and Public Health guidelines and allow students and employees to make the decisions that are best for each individual.
Tuberculosis Screening
All incoming students and new employees at Bastyr University Clinics (BCNH in WA and Bastyr University Clinic in CA) will be screened for risk factors for TB through an annual screening questionnaire and will be tested, preferably with Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) TB blood test (often referred to as the QuantiFERON test), once upon hire/entry into a clinical program. In some cases, students and employees may need additional screening on a case-by-case basis. Students and employees with a documented previous positive test may not need to be re-tested, but still must be screened.
Students or employees that have had prior TB screenings and/or testing should contact the Clinic Compliance Specialist (CCS) as soon as possible to see if any prior screenings might be applied toward Bastyr’s policy (certain elements have time/date requirements that may render them out of date if you delay contacting the CCS).
The QuantiFERON TB blood test is available for students enrolled in clinical programs at a discounted cash price at Labcorp in WA and CA. Students may not be eligible for the discounted cash price if they choose to bill their health insurance for this test. Please confirm with your insurance company that it will be covered if you plan to bill them.
Students must complete their screening before they begin their clinic rotations.
TB screening begins the first week of work for all clinic faculty and staff; faculty must complete their screening before they are allowed on shift, clinic staff must complete their screening by the end of the 3rd week of work.
Any positive TB test/questionnaire answer requires one to two additional follow-up appointments with a BU resident (no charge for these visit(s)) or an external, non-Bastyr affiliated primary care provider (fee not covered by Bastyr) to assess for further testing and/or treatment (Bastyr does not cover costs of further testing or treatment). Information about TB screening is given to students in one of their required clinic courses. Contact the Clinic Compliance Specialist with any questions regarding TB screening.
Immunization Policy
Hepatitis B requirement: Bastyr’s Immunization Policy requires that all students in clinical programs, all clinical faculty, and all staff such as laboratory, operations, and medical assistants who are category I (those with daily exposure to blood or body fluids) and category II (those who have occasional exposure to blood or body fluids) be vaccinated for hepatitis B, have documentation of titers to show immunity to hepatitis B, or sign the Hepatitis B Immunization Waiver.
Bastyr’s Immunization Policy recommends that all students in clinical programs, all clinical faculty, all clinic staff, and all laboratory and operations assistants who are category I (those with daily exposure to blood or body fluids) and category II (those who have occasional exposure to blood or body fluids) be vaccinated for relevant vaccine preventable diseases including: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis, COVID-19, and influenza.
External Sites: While Bastyr’s policy includes “recommendations” for certain relevant vaccine preventable diseases, some offsite (external, non-Bastyr) and/or preceptor locations may not allow a waiver for one or all of the vaccine preventable diseases listed in Bastyr’s policy. In addition, some clinical training locations may have additional health and safety requirements that students and faculty must complete in order to participate at those locations (students are responsible for any costs for these additional requirements).
Students are responsible for completing any necessary external site or preceptor “compliance” requirements well ahead of the start of their scheduled rotation, ideally 6-8 weeks in advance. If you have any questions, please contact your program coordinator, your external site coordinator, your clinic lead, or the Clinic Compliance Specialist - WA, Clinic Compliance Specialist - CA. If these requirements are not completed in time, you may not be able to participate in the activity.
Additional Information about Hepatitis B:
Bastyr University agrees to pay 50 percent of the cost of the hepatitis B immunization series for students. A reimbursement form should be completed and is available at the Student Services Resource Center or on SharePoint. Request for reimbursement must be received within 60 days of the date of service.
Anyone who has elected to waive the hepatitis B immunization series has the option to change that election, at any time, and take the immunization series and submit documentation to the Clinic Compliance Specialist - WA or Clinic Compliance Specialist - CA , who will update their record.
Commencement of the hepatitis B immunization series (or submission of a waiver) shall occur before the first day of work for all faculty and staff and before students in clinical programs begin their clinic rotations. Hepatitis immunization information and location of the online waiver are distributed to students in one of their required clinical courses. Hepatitis immunization questions can be directed to the Clinic Compliance Specialist - WA, Clinic Compliance Specialist - CA.
Titer and immunization cost: All students are required to pay in full the cost of testing antibody levels for any of the diseases listed above if they choose to check for individual immunity, prior to waiving or taking any immunizations, as well as for the cost of any immunizations (for Hepatitis B see above).