Vaden Health Services offers support to students with a wide range of care options. Here you can find medical advice as well as general tips, more information about us, health maintenance and prevention guidance, lab/x-ray services, immunizations, and more.
Medical Advice & General Tips
Find information on how to access medical advice, tips regarding appointments with any of our providers, and guidance on where to go when having an appointment.
A nurse is available for simple medical questions or advice during the day.
- Call 650.498.2336 and ask for the advice nurse, M–F from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., during the regular academic year and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the summer quarter, spring break and winter break.
- You can access your regular health care provider through the VadenPatient portal for routine questions and advice, medication refills, or the follow-up questions to a visit that are not urgent. These messages are not routinely checked on weekends, evening, holidays or if the clinician is not in the clinic that day.
- Please check in 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
- If you are late, you may have to reschedule if other students are being served.
- Appointment times allow for about 15 minutes with the provider. If you think you may need a longer appointment, please call for our staff to assist you rather than trying to book two appointments.
- Some appointments have a questionnaire for you to complete over the web. You can access this on the VadenPatient portal.
- Please bring your insurance card to your appointment in case you need it for services that are not covered under the Health Fee.
- If you can’t make your appointment, please cancel so the time slot will become available to another student. You can cancel at any time on the VadenPatient portal.
If you have an appointment, check in at the kiosk at the reception desk in the main lobby and you will be directed to your appointment. If you need to make an appointment, our staff will help you.
Medical Services: What We Do
Vaden Health Center’s medical services staff can take care of most of your primary care needs. Making an appointment will help us provide the best service. It is best to make an appointment on the VadenPatient portal or by calling 650.498.2336, Ext. 1. If you have an urgent concern call us first so we can best meet your needs. However, if you come in for an urgent issue, without an appointment, we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
- Sore throats
- Urinary symptoms for women
- Removal of stitches
- Wound care
- Blood pressure checks
- Weight and vitals checks
- Pregnancy test
- Respiratory illness, including asthma, ear problems, and allergies
- Gastrointestinal (stomach) illnesses
- Sprains and strains
- Infections, including travel-related illnesses
- Lacerations (cuts)
- Headaches
- Acne and other skin problems
You can also learn more about your health, including information about drugs, therapies, and symptoms, take interactive health tutorials, and find reliable medical websites at Medline Plus, a service of the National Library of Medicine. Learn more about Medline Plus here
Specialists On-Site
Access information about specialists who have a focus on eating disorders, optometry services, physical therapy, and sports medicine.
Eating Disorders
The Eating Disorders Specialty Clinic: A physician/dietitian team from Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) provides medical assessments and ongoing monitoring and support for eating disorders and related health issues. The LPCH specialists are Cynthia Kapphahn, M.D. and Samara Pattiasina, R.D.
- When: Wednesday mornings
- Where: Vaden Health Center and additional days at their clinic in Sunnyvale
- Cost: Visits are billed to your health insurance. There is a $25 co-pay if you are enrolled in Cardinal Care; other insurance coverage may vary.
- Who: Contact the Packard Children’s Hospital Young Adult Clinic.
Optometry services, including routine eye exams and contact lens fittings, are offered at Vaden. For students enrolled in Cardinal Care, a referral is no longer required to schedule the annual eye exam. Students can call the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford directly to schedule an appointment at 650.723.6995. Please let them know if you prefer to be seen at Vaden Health Center.
- If you have Cardinal Care, you are entitled to one eye exam per year. The co-pay is $25. Costs may vary for other insurance plans.
MORE Physical Therapy Inc., a separate organization co-located with Vaden, provides individualized treatment programs emphasizing hands-on care, education, and an active partnership with the patient. Established in 1988, MORE has multiple locations in the South San Francisco Bay Area and Peninsula, and has been providing care to Stanford students since 2010. MORE clinicians apply an innovative and personalized treatment philosophy to return patients to their desired level of activity as quickly as possible.
Vaccinations and Other Medication Injection
The Vaden Immunization and Injection Clinic provides routine immunizations and injectable medications for eligible Stanford students. Students without Cardinal Care can obtain routine vaccines from Walgreens @ Vaden Pharmacy. Any student with Kaiser insurance should contact Kaiser. Immunizations
The following routine immunizations are available at Vaden. If you have Cardinal Care insurance, those that are preventive are covered with no added out-of-pocket cost. There is a charge for most other immunizations. Travel vaccines such as Japanese encephalitis, typhoid, and rabies are available in the Vaden Travel Clinic.
- Diphtheria/tetanus
- Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- HPV (human papillomavirus)
- Influenza (seasonal)
- Measles, mumps, and rubella
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Pneumococcal
- Varicella (chicken pox)
Vaden does not currently offer immunotherapy/allergy injections. Immunotherapy/allergy shots can be provided by local/community allergists. If you need to connect with a local allergist, the Vaden Continuity of Care Nurses can assist you. Please call 650.725.0984 to reach them.
- Tuberculosis testing
- Administration of injectable medication as ordered by a clinician
- Special drop-in influenza immunization clinics October–December
- Special immunization and screening clinics at the beginning of the academic year for new students completing their Entrance Medical Requirements
Lab & X-Ray Services
Both the laboratory and X-ray suites are located on the first floor of Vaden Health Center. Here you can learn more about our services.
Health Maintenance & Prevention
Vaden offers a wide variety of screening, preventive, and reproductive health services. Many of the services can be discussed in a single visit, choose either a “Health Maintenance” visit or the “Gynecological Visit” if you are due for cervical cancer screening (Pap Smear) or have other gynecological needs. Many of our services can be done via a video or telephone visit or online.
TimelyCare option for students
TimelyCare expands both the times and the locations where Stanford students can receive care: The service offers 24/7 virtual medical and mental health care and can serve students anywhere in the United States. TimelyCare is offered as a supplement to the extensive existing in-person and virtual services offered by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Vaden Medical Services, and other Vaden and on-campus resources.
