A school physical, also known as a school medical exam or pre-participation physical exam, is a thorough check-up for your child to assess their overall health and well-being. In Colorado, school physicals are required because they help identify potential health concerns early, keeping your child healthy throughout the school year.
Here at TBH Medical, our nurse practitioner will perform a complete physical exam for your child. The exam will include:
Your child will likely need to have a school physical once a year, typically at the beginning of the school year. Having an annual school physical will help our nurse practitioner monitor your child's health and catch any problems before they become more severe.
Although they are similar, a school physical and a sports physical are not exactly the same. A sports physical is an exam used to determine whether or not your child is healthy enough to participate in a sport. While a school physical also assesses your child's health, it also evaluates their overall well-being and development. However, here at TBH Medical, we can complete both a school physical and a sports physical at the same time!
Direct primary care, often abbreviated as DPC, is a unique approach to healthcare where patients visit their primary care physician and pay a monthly or annual membership fee. This fee includes most primary care services, excluding laboratory tests and imaging. DPC differs from traditional practice by eliminating the need for insurance. As a result, patients typically have longer appointments with their provider and more personalized care.
Yes! School physicals are among the many services we offer at TBH Medical, a direct primary care practice in Colorado Springs. With the longer appointments offered by a DPC practice, our nurse practitioner can thoroughly evaluate your child's health without feeling rushed.
Using a DPC provider for your child's school physical ensures you will receive individualized care, cost transparency, and unparalleled access to your provider. As TBH Medical is not burdened by insurance-related restrictions and regulations, we can devote more time to your child's care and address all your questions and concerns.
Our priority is caring for our direct primary care members. However, we recognize that many families require school evaluations only in late summer. Please contact our office to confirm our availability for one-time school physicals for non-members and to inquire about the benefits and savings of enrolling your entire family in our comprehensive membership.
If you are a member of TBH Medical, your child's school physical is included in your monthly membership fees and incurs no additional cost. If you are not an existing member and would like your child seen only once for a school physical, please call our office to inquire about our flat-rate pricing for this service. Our pricing is always transparent and will never include surprise charges.
TBH Medical does not participate with any insurance plans; insurance cannot be billed for any visit. However, our flat-rate pricing for membership and individual services is very affordable and may actually save you money on your out-of-pocket expenses compared to an insurance co-pay and high deductible.
There are no additional fees associated with the school physical examination. If your child needs additional care or services during the visit, such as labs or vaccinations not included in the routine exam, we will discuss these fees with you and obtain your permission before administering them.
To schedule a school physical with TBH Medical, call our office, and we can schedule a day and time that's convenient for you.
It is recommended that you schedule your child's school physical at least 4-6 weeks before the school deadline or the start of the sports season. Late summer is our busiest time for school physicals. Scheduling early will help you secure an appointment time that meets your needs.
We do not offer walk-in appointments, as we want to give each patient plenty of time and attention; however, with the DPC model, we often have open time to schedule same-day or next-day appointments for our members.
Please bring any paperwork that your school district or sports program requires. We will also need a copy of your child's current immunization record, as well as any medications that they are currently taking.
Yes, after the physical exam is complete, our nurse practitioner will fill out, sign, and date any health or sports participation paperwork required by your child's school.
Yes, for your convenience, we can fax or email any completed health paperwork to your child's school administration or school nurse. You will need to sign a release of information in our office so we can fax or email it.
Yes, TBH Medical can provide your child with any required childhood vaccinations during their school physical exam. We will check with the state of Colorado to see which vaccinations your child is missing and provide them at the physical exam to bring your child up to date.
Patient safety is our highest priority at TBH Medical. We adhere to strict clinical sanitation protocols, thoroughly disinfecting exam rooms between every patient and maintaining a clean, welcoming environment that meets all professional healthcare standards.
Resource: https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-education/guidelines/index.html
Yes, our nurse practitioner has extensive experience providing care for children with diverse medical conditions and special needs. The direct primary care model is particularly beneficial here, as it allows us to schedule extended appointment times to ensure a comfortable, stress-free environment and a thorough evaluation.
If we identify a health concern during the school physical, we will discuss it with you immediately and formulate a comprehensive care plan. As a direct primary care practice, we provide continuous follow-up care and can easily schedule subsequent visits or coordinate specialist referrals if necessary.
We encourage parents to remain in the examination room throughout the school physical. Your presence not only provides comfort to your child but also allows us to ask important questions about their medical history and address any concerns you might have directly.
Our nurse practitioner will discuss the results of the physical examination with you in real-time during the appointment. We also provide a secure digital summary of the visit through our patient portal, ensuring you have immediate access to all health data and signed forms.