SUNY Downstate
Policy on Effects of Infectious Disease or Disability on Student Learning Activities
Purpose
This policy describes the effects of infectious and environmental disease or disability
on student learning activities.
Policy
Note: These policies mirror specific policies adopted by the College of Medicine which
are located on this web page.
- All SUNY Downstate schools and colleges abide by the center-wide policy on HIV and
other infectious or communicable diseases (see Section 20 of SUNY Downstate Medical Center UHB Policies and Procedures and shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of HIV status or other
communicable diseases (e.g. Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C). SUNY Downstate may not require
a test for verification of HIV status or other communicable diseases for the purpose
of attaining or maintaining academic admission or continued matriculation.
- SUNY Downstate shall maintain confidentiality regarding communicable diseases (e.g.
HIV testing, HIV status, or AIDS-related conditions) of its students in accordance
with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and in accordance
with all policies and procedures of SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
- For students who are infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and/or HIV the risk of
transmission to patients increases with the invasiveness of the procedure provided
by the student and his/her viral load. The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of
America (SHEA) has issued guidelines for the above infections in healthcare workers,
including students. The full report may be accessed at “Infection Control and Hospital
Epidemiology”, March 2012, Vol. 31, No. 3. There are three categories of healthcare-associated
procedures according to risk of transmission:
- Procedures with de minimus risk of bloodborne virus transmission.
- Procedures for which bloodborne virus infection is theoretically possible but unlikely.
- Procedures for which there is definite risk of bloodborne virus transmission or that
have been classified previously as “exposure-prone”.
An expert panel may be convened to counsel students who are known to be infected with
hepatitis B, hepatitis C and/or HIV if they are performing Category II or Category
III procedures, and have viral loads above those recommended in the SHEA guidelines
for each infection.
- No person shall be subject to adverse education actions or removed from educational
experiences solely because of a non-task related disability. Reasonable accommodations
will be made for students with communicable disease consistent with the current state
of knowledge on transmission of infection. If the Director of the Student Health Services
determines that the safety of a student or the safety of others in contact with the
student are at risk, the Director will contact the Dean of the college or school the
student is enrolled in (or their designee). The Dean will then convene a panel to
review and recommend educational activities for the student in question that are based
on current state of knowledge on the infection.
Approved by the Council of Deans, December 2015
