Northeast State Community College is committed to helping you achieve a bright future and a long life! Physical wellness is more than just medical care for illness or injury.  It includes a healthy diet, physical activity, and sleep. Taking care of yourself is important to your life now as a college student and in your future.  

Seven Tips for Staying Healthy in College
1. Go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day. (Put down your cell, stop playing video games, get some sleep!)  Sleep recharges you mind and your body.  
2. Exercise (move) regularly.  Take a brisk walk, do jumping jacks, hike, play basketball, dance, do whatever you like.  Exercise reduces stress, helps with overall mood and improves sleep.  
3. Choose some healthy foods each day.  Do you reach for chips, sweets or carbs when you are stressed?  Add some healthy snacks, nuts, fruit, veggies to your diet.
4. Make time for Self-Care.  Make time to do something that you enjoy each week; being with friends, taking a bubble bath, watching a movie, engaging in a hobby, whatever gives you pleasure. 
5. Beware of substance misuse.  Do you binge drink alcohol when you are alone or with friends? Reach for marijuana when you feel stressed?  Is your misuse becoming a problem for you?  Reach out and talk to someone.
6. Value Sexual Health and Safety.  Practice safer sex, get screened for STDs when appropriate, and respect your body and the body of someone else.  Consent is important. 
7. Become Health Aware.  Preventive health care is important!  If you do not have insurance, check out the free and reduced clinics below.  

Health and Wellness programming provides informational resources to the campus community on all matters related to health promotion, wellness, and primary prevention that encourage lifelong physical and emotional well-being. Awareness campaigns and events are sponsored by several College departments throughout the year to promote good health practices and access to health and wellness resources within the College and community. 

Blountville:

• General Studies Building (C) - Lobby Across from Campus Police Office
• Faculty Office Building (F) - First Floor Across from F100
• Powers Mathematics and Science Building (B) - Beside First Floor Elevator 
• Basler Library (L) - Circulation Desk, Main Lobby 
• Locke Humanities Complex (H) - First Floor Across from Restrooms 
• Wellmont Regional Center for the Performing Arts (D) - First Floor Beside D192

Elizabethton: Lobby Entrance

Gray: Main Hall and to the Left

Johnson City: Lobby Across from Campus Police Office

Kingsport:

• Blazier-Wilson Hall - Lobby
• KCHE - First Floor Hallway on the Left 
• RCAM - Lobby 
• RCAP - Lobby 
• RCHP - First Floor Lobby

Please note that donors can safely give blood every eight weeks. This means that there should be 56 days between your blood donations to any agency. To give blood, you must be at least 17 years of age, in good general health, and meet basic requirements as outlined in the health questionnaire you will complete at check-in when arriving at the blood drive location. All blood donors must weigh a minimum of 110 pounds.

Donating blood counts as one hour of community service to meet Tennessee Promise and/or Northeast State community service requirements.

Carter County Health Department

Sullivan County Regional Health Department

Washington County Health Department

If you have a medical emergency on campus (e.g., asthma attack, allergic reaction, laceration, burn, acute vomiting, diarrhea, urinary tract infection, fever greater than 102 degrees, acute mental health problem, or sexual violence), please call the Northeast State Police Department at 423.677.7927 (emergency cell) or 9-1-1.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

For up-to-date information and guidance, please visit these sites:

TBR - Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Tennessee Department of Health Coronavirus Information

Flu

For the latest information on influenza, please visit the following links:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 
• Seasonal Flu Information for Parents

Tips to Stay Healthy:

• Get a flu shot to help protect yourself from seasonal flu.
• Get a pneumonia shot to prevent secondary infection if you are over the age of 65 or have a chronic illness such as diabetes or asthma. For specific guidelines talk to your healthcare provider, or call the CDC hotline at 1.800.232.4636.
• Make sure your family’s immunizations are up-to-date.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put used tissues in a waste basket.
• Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve if you don’t have a tissue.
• Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing. Use soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs are often spread when someone touches something that is contaminated and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
• Stay at home if you are sick.
• It is always a good idea to practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.

Meningococcal Meningitis

• Meningococcal disease can refer to any illness that is caused by the type of bacteria called Neisseria meningitis, also known as meningococcus [muh-ning-goh-KOK-us].
• These illnesses are often severe and include infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream infections (bacteremia or septicemia).
• Meningococcus bacteria are spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions like spit (e.g., by living in close quarters or kissing).
• Meningococcal disease can be treated with antibiotics, but quick medical attention is extremely important.
• This infection is not spread by casual contact (e.g., classroom contact), touching doorknobs or other surfaces, or breathing the same air.
• Keeping up to date with recommended vaccines is the best defense against Meningococcal disease.

For more information on Meningococcal illnesses, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Meningococcal Disease website.

Mumps

For the latest information on mumps, please visit the following link:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Mumps

Stomach Flu

Gastroenteritis means inflammation of the stomach and small and large intestines. Viral gastroenteritis is an infection caused by a variety of viruses that results in vomiting and diarrhea. It is often called the “stomach bug” or the “stomach flu” although it is not caused by the influenza viruses.

How to Treat

Fluids are important but can only be taken in relatively small quantities frequently; large amounts at a time stretch the stomach and trigger vomiting. Anti-nausea medications such as Phenergan and Compazine can help, but do require a prescription. Hold off on solid foods for about 2 days to give the lining of the stomach and intestines time to heal. Start back with very bland foods such as the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), then move up.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medications

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications available at your local pharmacy or grocery store include:

• Anti-diarrheal preparations of bismuth subsalicylate (e.g., Pepto-Biosmol) or Loperamide (Immodium) can reduce the duration and severity of simple diarrhea. These medications should be avoided if you have a high fever or blood in the stools because they may make the illness worse.
• Pain reliever/fever reducer. Acetaminophen can make you more comfortable. Ibuprofen is not recommended as it can cause further stomach upset.

Complications

Your body needs fluids to function. Diarrhea and vomiting can cause dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration:

• Excessive thirst
• Dry mouth
• Little urine or dark yellow urine
• Severe weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness

Mild dehydration can be treated by drinking liquids. Sip small amounts of clear liquids frequently. Try ice chips, sips of water, flat ginger ale or 7-Up, weak tea, diluted apple juice, Gatorade, clear soups and/or Jell-O. Severe dehydration may require intravenous fluids, which can help patients quickly.

Call your doctor if you experience: 

• Stools containing blood or black stools
• Temperature over 101.5 F for more than 24 hours
• Prolonged vomiting
• Signs of dehydration
• Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days 

Tuberculosis

For the latest information on tuberculosis, please visit the following links:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Tuberculosis
• Sullivan County Regional Health Department - Tuberculosis

• GoodRx
• Headspace: Guided Meditation & Mindfulness
• White Noise

Information about College Immunization Requirements is posted on the Tennessee Department of Health's website . Hepatitis B information is available at the What I need to know about Hepatitis B link on the site.

Tennessee follows published  CDC guidelines for minimum ages and dose intervals.

Finding Your Immunization Record

Always retain a copy of your immunization record for future reference. If records cannot be located, searches may include:

• Childhood records
• High school or college you last attended
• Local health department where you grew up
• Childhood pediatrician
• Students born after the mid-1990s may have records entered in a state-managed immunization registry. 

The J. Allen Hurley Wellness Trail winds .7 miles around the north end of the Blountville campus. The trail takes you through a developing arboretum, a natural growth area home to dozens of plants, wildlife, newly planted trees, and old growth trees. It is quiet even though it travels close to busy country roads. Trail walkers may spot birds, squirrels or other wildlife frolicking in the area. 

Benefits of Walking

Walking for fitness can help you achieve a number of important health benefits. For example, you can: 

• Reduce your risk of a heart attack.
• Manage your blood pressure.
• Reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• Manage your diabetes.
• Manage your weight.
• Manage stress and boost your spirits.
• Stay strong and active.

For the latest information on the region's efforts to provide substance abuse prevention and treatment, please visit the following links:

• The Center for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment
• Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition

If you have a loved one who is at risk of overdosing on an opioid medication, please contact Brianne Dunning at brianne@scadcoalition.org or 423.742.5819 to receive information on naloxone HCI training, an Opioid Overdose Prevention Kit, and referrals for support services. For more information on naloxone HCI, visit www.narcan.com.

Officers with the Northeast State Police Department, in accordance with TCA § 63-1-152, have been trained to possess and administer naloxone HCI to treat and reduce injuries and fatalities due to opioid-involved overdoses that may occur on a campus site. Emergency notifications can be made directly to Campus Police at 423.677.7927 (emergency cell) or by calling 9-1-1. 

What do I do if I need to see a doctor and do not have a primary care physician?

To obtain a list of primary care physicians in the area who are taking patients and who accept your insurance, contact Nurse Connect at Ballad Health by calling 833.8.BALLAD (833.822.5523).