Policies

Pre-Entrance Health Forms Policy

As a matter of administrative process all new postdoctoral fellows are required to meet the University's pre-entrance health requirements detailed on the Student Health and Wellness Center website (choose 'Information for New Students'). To verify that all requirements have been met, incoming postdoctoral fellows must complete the Pre-Entrance Health Form and mail it to the following address:

Student Health & Wellness Center
Johns Hopkins University
3003 N. Charles Street, N200
Baltimore MD 21218
USA

Compliance with the immunization requirements and screening tests listed on the website provided above must be completed prior to arrival on campus. Until a Pre-Entrance Health Form is on file and verified as in compliance, post-doctoral fellows will not be permitted to use the Health Center and will be considered out of compliance with University regulations.

If a postdoctoral fellow cannot complete the Pre-Entrance Health Form prior to his/her arrival on campus, the Health Center will assist him/her in completing the form for a fee of $100 (before July 1, 2012 the fee will be $85). The post-doctoral fellow will also be responsible for paying the cost of any antibody testing that is done to verify immunity and the cost of any immunizations they may need to come into compliance. If a post-doctoral fellow is enrolled in the University-sponsored insurance plan, he/she will only pay an $8.00 co-pay for each immunization. Postdocs covered under other insurance plans must pay the full price of each immunization but will be given receipts that they can submit to their insurance companies. Most insurance companies however do not reimburse for the cost of vaccination.

Website: Student Health and Wellness Center

Other Healthcare Information

All Homewood postdoctoral fellows are required to comply with the University's pre-entrance health requirements, as stated above. This is for a postdoctoral fellow's own protection as well as to protect the health of the University community.

There are two conditions under which a postodctoral fellow should not seek care at the Student Health & Wellness Center:

If a postdoctoral fellow needs emergency care, they should call 911 for any life-threatening situations. In addition, the closest emergency facility is Union Memorial Hospital at 201 E. University Parkway. When the Health Center is closed, postdoctoral fellows may seek advice for non-emergent problems that cannot wait until the Health Center reopens by contacting CareNet, a nurse triage service, at 1-866-523-4725. Postdocs will need their University ID for verification of their University status.
If a postdoctoral fellow experiences a work-related injury -- under these conditions, he or she should notify his or her supervisor immediately and contact the Homewood Office of Occupational Health Services at (410) 516-0450. They are located on the 6th floor of the Wyman Park building. They provide immediate treatment for all work-related injuries and illnesses. It is important that postdocs go to Occupational Health Services to preserve their rights under the Workers' Compensation laws. If an injury should occur when the Office of Occupational Health Services is closed, postdocs should seek the appropriate medical treatment (including emergency services if needed) and follow-up with the Office of Occupational Health Services the next business day.

Postdoctoral Leave of Absence Policy

Postdoctoral fellows are entitled to petition for a leave of absence (LOA) from their appointment. In order to do so, the postdoctoral fellow is expect to provide their respective Dean's Office administrator with a letter of explanation addressing one of the permitted reasons a postdoctoral fellow would qualify for a leave of absence listed below. The final decision is made by the appropriate Dean’s Office.

Postdoctoral fellows may apply for up to one year of leave of absence or to the end of their postdoctoral appointment (which ever comes first) when medical conditions, compulsory military service, or personal or family hardship prevents them from continuing their postdoctoral fellowship. Leave of absence extensions are subject to funding availability and the approval of the principal investigator or advisor. However, since a leave of absence extends no more than a year, a new LOA application needs to be completed for additional leaves of absence.

For leave of absence, postdoctoral fellows need to provide a letter from their principal investigator and documentation as indicated for each particular situation:

Medical Condition: a letter from a physician (this may be a letter from a doctor at the Student Health and Wellness Center), or counselor/psychiatrist
Military Duty: a letter or verification from the Armed Forces
Personal or Family Hardship: a letter from the applicant

Note: While on leave of absence, postdoctoral fellows do not have campus privileges—access to University services or facilities and student employment. However, postdoctoral fellows on LOA are eligible for employment through the University’s Human Resources Office. Taking a leave of absence may affect a postdoctoral fellow’s Johns Hopkins Health Insurance. It is recommended that postdoctoral fellows interested in applying for a leave contact the Registrar’s Office to find out how their coverage will be affected should they be approved for a leave of absence. International posdoctoral fellows should consult with the Office of International Students and Scholar to understand visa implication of leave.

When returning from leave of absence, a postdoctoral fellow must complete and submit a letter of intent (to return) 10 business days before returning to his/her appointment. The form must be accompanied by a letter (from one of the sources above) that explains what progress has taken place in the postdoctoral fellow’s absence that would enable him/her to be successful upon return.

For leave of absence in the Krieger School: Anna De Cheke Qualls, Director of Graduate Affairs, aqualls@jhu.edu, 410-516-7125
For leave of absence in the Whiting School: Dan Horn, Assistant Dean for Academic Programs, dhorn1@jhu.edu, 410-516-8943

Contact

Graduate Affairs and Admissions Office
Shriver Hall 28
3400 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218 Phone: (410) 516-8477
Fax: (410) 516-0780
Email: graduateaffairs@jhu.edu

Greg Hager
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