American Camp Association | Summer camps enrich children's lives!

Learn the skills you need to succeed. Camping Magazine is your primary source for the most recent trends in the camp industry, the latest research in the field of youth development, critical management tools, and innovative programming ideas. September/October 2010 articles address education, research, history, 2020 Toolbox, and much more.

2010 September/October Camping Magazine Magazine

Perfect for campers, camp parents, and staff! Single item or quantity orders available. Customize with your camp name.

Stock your camp store . . . Purchase as gifts . . . Share the memories.

T-shirts • Hats • Bags • Posters Brought to you by ACA in partnership with New D

All books and DVDs 25% off on all orders of $75 or more at the ACA Bookstore! Use code LBD-25 at checkout. 

Labor Day Spectacular at the ACA Bookstore

Join more than 1,500 of your colleagues, presenters, and exhibiting personnel at the 2011 National Conference in San Diego. Fourplus packed days of quality education, social and issuesbased networking, professional trade-show access, and special events are designed to boost your professional development.

2011 National Conference in San Diego

Children and youth need a community that:  encourages achievement and builds self-esteem; promotes healthy lifestyles, fitness, and activity; teaches in a classroom without walls; instills appreciation, respect, and responsibility for the natural world around them; and inspires the confidence and courage to become the leaders of tomorrow.

A Voice for Excellence

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Looking for a summer camp? Search over 2,400 ACA-Accredited camps.

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Find the perfect summer or year-round camp job. Need Staff? Check Out ACA’s Staff Recruitment Solutions!

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American Camp Association | Summer camps enrich children's lives!

Learn the skills you need to succeed. Camping Magazine is your primary source for the most recent trends in the camp industry, the latest research in the field of youth development, critical management tools, and innovative programming ideas. September/October 2010 articles address education, research, history, 2020 Toolbox, and much more.

2010 September/October Camping Magazine Magazine

Perfect for campers, camp parents, and staff! Single item or quantity orders available. Customize with your camp name.

Stock your camp store . . . Purchase as gifts . . . Share the memories.

T-shirts • Hats • Bags • Posters Brought to you by ACA in partnership with New D

All books and DVDs 25% off on all orders of $75 or more at the ACA Bookstore! Use code LBD-25 at checkout. 

Labor Day Spectacular at the ACA Bookstore

Join more than 1,500 of your colleagues, presenters, and exhibiting personnel at the 2011 National Conference in San Diego. Fourplus packed days of quality education, social and issuesbased networking, professional trade-show access, and special events are designed to boost your professional development.

2011 National Conference in San Diego

Children and youth need a community that:  encourages achievement and builds self-esteem; promotes healthy lifestyles, fitness, and activity; teaches in a classroom without walls; instills appreciation, respect, and responsibility for the natural world around them; and inspires the confidence and courage to become the leaders of tomorrow.

A Voice for Excellence

Find a Camp

Looking for a summer camp? Search over 2,400 ACA-Accredited camps.

Find a Job

Find the perfect summer or year-round camp job. Need Staff? Check Out ACA’s Staff Recruitment Solutions!

Join ACA

Join today and be an integral part of an evolving, versatile, and vibrant organization of people with knowledge to share.

HIPAA
by: Marge Scanlin

HIPAA. You've seen it at your local doctor's office when you were asked to sign a statement about persons to whom you authorized the release of your medical records. But what does it have to do with camp?

ACA believes the record-keeping policies of HIPAA don't apply to most camps because you don't do electronic billing. However, we know that you need access to records of hospitals and clinics that see your campers and staff-and those organizations are covered by the privacy regulations of HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

Will you get easy access to test and X-ray results when you take campers and staff to see the doctor this summer? While the hospitals will have access to the "Permission to Treat" form you generally take along to the doctor, they may not have written permission from the parent to release information to you.

What should you do?

  1. Contact the PRIVACY OFFICER at the hospitals and clinics you use BEFORE THE SEASON. Discuss the scenario of needing-in the best interest of the camper or staff member-test results and diagnosis information.
  2. Remind them that you are in loco parentis (in place of the parent) in supervising the individual while they are at camp and, with the parents' permission to seek treatment in hand, you are the "personal representative" (this term is used in the Act itself) of the camper or staff member.
  3. Discuss the fact that it is in the best interest of the camper or staff that the camp health-care personnel be aware of the test results/diagnosis. The concept of what is "in the best interest" of the camper is also included in the Act, and health-care providers are allowed under the Act to use their professional judgment to release health information to people involved in the camper's care-when it is in the camper's best interest.

If these steps fail, you have two other options. One is to have the hospital call the parent when the child is at the hospital to request verbal agreement to release information to you. The second is to get a signed statement from the parents at check-in (or at the bus stop, if you pick campers up at a central point) granting you permission to receive the results of medical procedures completed while the child is enrolled at camp. This statement should contain relevant requirements of HIPAA so that the health-care provider will not question your ability to get health information.

We believe that contact with the Privacy Officer of the hospitals and clinics you use should get positive results in most cases. If you have additional questions about the legal requirements of HIPAA, discuss them with your camp physician and/or legal counsel. For questions about the suggestions in this letter, contact Marge Scanlin (mscanlin@ACAcamps.org) at ACA.

Also, check out the ACA Web site for the latest information on SARS.

 

American Camp Association | Summer camps enrich children's lives!

Learn the skills you need to succeed. Camping Magazine is your primary source for the most recent trends in the camp industry, the latest research in the field of youth development, critical management tools, and innovative programming ideas. September/October 2010 articles address education, research, history, 2020 Toolbox, and much more.

2010 September/October Camping Magazine Magazine

Perfect for campers, camp parents, and staff! Single item or quantity orders available. Customize with your camp name.

Stock your camp store . . . Purchase as gifts . . . Share the memories.

T-shirts • Hats • Bags • Posters Brought to you by ACA in partnership with New D

All books and DVDs 25% off on all orders of $75 or more at the ACA Bookstore! Use code LBD-25 at checkout. 

Labor Day Spectacular at the ACA Bookstore

Join more than 1,500 of your colleagues, presenters, and exhibiting personnel at the 2011 National Conference in San Diego. Fourplus packed days of quality education, social and issuesbased networking, professional trade-show access, and special events are designed to boost your professional development.

2011 National Conference in San Diego

Children and youth need a community that:  encourages achievement and builds self-esteem; promotes healthy lifestyles, fitness, and activity; teaches in a classroom without walls; instills appreciation, respect, and responsibility for the natural world around them; and inspires the confidence and courage to become the leaders of tomorrow.

A Voice for Excellence

Find a Camp

Looking for a summer camp? Search over 2,400 ACA-Accredited camps.

Find a Job

Find the perfect summer or year-round camp job. Need Staff? Check Out ACA’s Staff Recruitment Solutions!

Join ACA

Join today and be an integral part of an evolving, versatile, and vibrant organization of people with knowledge to share.