Preventive Care Guidelines for Children
About Health Forms
As a parent, you will be asked to complete health forms for your child for a variety of activities, such as school functions, sports and summer camp. As your child's health care provider, Camino Medical Group wants to serve your family in an efficient, friendly manner. Our goal is to maintain a relationship with each patient to ensure optimal health.
To achieve this goal and provide efficient service, we've established a schedule for regular physical examinations. Children under six should be seen annually. After age six a physical examination is recommended every two years. This ensures that health forms are com-pleted without further visits. Forms cannot be completed if there has not been a check-up within this time frame. See Camp/Sports section for exceptions.
If your child has completed a regular physical exam within the above time frame, forms can be completed and processed in 7 to 10 days. This time is necessary to allow for medical chart retrieval, chart review by the physician, and completion of the health form. A fee will be charged before processing the forms.
Present the form to the Pediatrics reception desk at the time of fee payment. You will be called when the form is completed and ready for pick up. Faxed and mailed forms will not be processed until fees are paid.
Health forms presented to the physician at the time of a scheduled physical examination will be completed and the processing fees will be waived.
Be sure to complete the form with your child's full name, birthdate, and physician's name clearly written on it before presenting it to the receptionist. This saves time in processing and avoids pos-sible confusion and delays.
Schools and/or organizations can deny admission or attendance without completed health forms. Plan ahead in acquiring the form you need, allowing sufficient time for processing.
Some forms are exempt from these policies. These include:
- School medication administration forms which identify any medications a child may be given
- WIC nutrition supplement forms.
Sections The Yellow Card & Immunizations | Daycare and Preschool (< 5 years old) | Kindergarten | Elementary School | Middle School | High School and College | Camp/ Sports | Final Tips
The Yellow Card & Immunizations
The State of California mandates specific immunizations according to your child's age (see chart below). A record of you child's immunizations can be kept on a yellow card. This yellow card is a legal document that verifies your child's immunizations and is sufficient documentation for schools, camps, and out of country travel.
Camino Medical Group will give you a free yellow card for each child if you don't already have one. There is a replacement fee for lost cards. Please keep this record in a safe and accessible place. Bring it to each physical examination to keep the record up to date. Keep the original with you and make copies for others as needed. If your child receives immunizations from another medical facility, be sure that the yellow card is updated at the time of service.
Due to changes in requirements, your child may not have received every immunization. Your pediatrician can discuss immunizations at the time of your child's checkup.
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Daycare and Preschool (< 5 years old)
Some daycare providers have specific health forms for you. Ask your provider for the form. If they do not have a form, you will probably have to show documentation of current immunizations (a copy of your child's yellow card). Again, expect 7 to 10 days for processing health forms. Present the form to the receptionist desk at Pediatrics at the time of fee payment. You will be contacted when the form is ready for pickup.
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Kindergarten
Kindergarten admission health forms are avail-able from your school district at the time of admission, usually in March before the next school year. Obtain the form and schedule the necessary physical examination promptly. Bring your child's yellow immunization card to the appointment.
If you are new to Camino Medical Group you need to bring a record of prior immunizations. Expect delays for late requests during peak demand periods (August and September). Plan ahead to avoid delays.
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Elementary School
Some schools require health forms for admissions into school. You need to check ahead with your school. Remember to keep your child's yellow immunization card current, bringing it with you to every physical exam.
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Middle School
The State of California now requires proof of hepatitis B series immunizations prior to admis-sion to middle school. Currently this is given dur-ing infancy in a series of three shots over a six month period. Some children did not receive these immunizations.
If your child has been immunized ...
it will be documented on the yellow immuniza-tion card.
If your child needs the hepatitis B series and a physical exam has been completed in the last two years ...
schedule a visit for a "Medical Assistant Only Appointment" to receive the injections.
If your child needs the hepaptitis B series and has not had a physical within two years ...
schedule a complete physical exam (CPE). Bring your child's immunization card along for the appointment.
School science camp may require a health form to be completed prior to the trip. Check with your school and plan ahead. Ask for the form as early as possible.
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High School and College
No additional immunizations are required at this age if your child has had all immunizations. Some colleges recommend a meningococcal vaccine for dormitory living. Please check with college authorities about this. Send your child to college with a copy of his/her yellow immunization card. Keep the original in a safe and accessible place.
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Camp/ Sports
Most organizations require an annual exam before your child can participate. A physical exam must be completed within the past one to two years before these forms are processed. Some insurance companies require these examinations to be done no sooner than one year and one day apart for coverage. You need to check with your child's school and your health insurance about coverage for this examination.
If your child has had a current physical exam within two years, bring the health form to pedi-atrics. You will be charged a processing fee. You will be contacted to pick up the completed form (or we can mail it to you) in 7 to 10 days. Ask for these forms from the camp or school as soon as possible, i.e., when you sign up for the program. Expect delays for late requests, especially during peak demand (early summer and right before school begins).
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Final Tips
- Write your child's full name, birthdate, and physician's name on the form before submitting to Pediatrics for completion.
- Plan ahead. Ask for forms early to allow sufficient processing time. Check your child's backpack for the fonns.
- Keep inmnntization cards (the YELLOW CARD) current and in a safe place.
- Bring the yellow card to all physical examinations.
- Complete a physical exam every two years to stay current and minimize delays in processing forms.
- There will be a processing fee for forms submit-ted to the Pediatrics Department.
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