Health

Staying Healthy at Sky Ranch

Health and Wellness at Sky Ranch

We want your child to have a fun and unforgettable experience at Sky Ranch! While we recognize that trips to the health center are not completely unavoidable, we work diligently to minimize any time spent away from camp activities. This means that we take a proactive, wholistic approach to caring for your camper. Ways that we do this include, but are not limited to, focusing on the importance of handwashing, bug spray, sunscreen, hydration and rest for your camper. This page contains pertinent information to your camper’s stay.

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Health Tips for Camp Prep

A healthy camp starts at home! As you prepare to send your child to camp, here are some ways that you can ensure they have a wonderful experience:

  • If your child shows signs of illness, please keep them home. This greatly reduces the spread of illness at camp.
  • Teach your child to sneeze in his/her sleeve and to wash hands often at home and at camp.
  • Please send a reusable water bottle. Your child can refill it frequently during their camp stay. Staying hydrated is very important!
  • As a part of our registration process, each camper must have a health history form completed. Please verify that this form is accurately completed upon registration. 

Medications

Our health centers are staffed by licensed health professionals as well as health care assistants. We have a physician who acts as the medical director of each site, providing yearly review of our policies and treatment protocols. Each location stocks commonly used medications, such as tylenol, for as-needed use. To serve your family with excellence, we follow the regulations for Colorado and Texas Youth Camps, and subscribe to the American Camp Association standards.

If your child takes medication on a regular basis, the medication will be stored in our health center and dispensed by a licensed health professional. All medications (both prescription and over-the counter) must be checked in when you drop off your camper.

To help expedite your check-in process on Sunday, please follow the instructions below:

• Both prescription and over-the-counter medications are required to be in the original packaging and contain only the medication identified on the container. Do not put medications in pill containers.

• If your child requires a prescription medication, the prescription label must be legible with the camper’s name on it. Please do not use old bottles or those belonging to another family member as they will not be administered per state law. Prescriptions label instructions will be followed. If your child's doctor has recently changed the timing or frequency of the medication, make sure the prescription label is up to date.

  • All Non-FDA approved medications, which include most vitamins, oils, and dietary supplements, will only be accepted and administered to your camper if accompanied by an order that is signed by a licensed provider (MD, DO, NP or PA). This order must instruct us on when and how much to give. This is to ensure the safety of your camper and to comply with the Nurse Practice Act.

• Please check the medication’s expiration date. Expired medication will not be administered per state law.

• The ONLY medications that are permitted to be kept with the counselors are RESCUE inhalers (along with spacer) and EpiPens. These are the only medications that our counselors are trained to administer. Campers are not allowed to keep rescue medications themselves for safety reasons. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Healthcare Director prior to camp. A counselor that has your child’s rescue medication will be with your child at all times. The counselors are allowed to keep glucometers.

• All medications can be picked up by parents on the last day of camp. Medications that are not picked up will be disposed of so please be sure to stop by our medication return table. If your child has a rescue medication kept by the counselor (EpiPen or rescue inhaler), it is your responsibility to obtain these from your child's counselor when you pick up your child from camp.

Special Dietary Requirements

Sky Ranch is concerned about your child’s health and well-being. We will gladly work with you regarding special dietary restrictions and food allergies. When completing online registration for camp, please complete the portion related to food allergies and dietary requirements. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact our food service department directly by emailing FoodService@SkyRanch.org.

Bed Bug Prevention

Here are a few facts and some things that you can do to be proactive in protecting your family when it comes to bed bugs. Bed bugs have become more common in the United States and worldwide over the past few years. Sky Ranch takes several precautions to ensure their facilities are free of these pests, but as with all hospitality businesses we have no control over the potential of guests bringing in bed bugs.

What can you do to prevent transmission of bed bugs? Perform a thorough search looking for signs of bed bugs in any suitable hiding place. Look for feces (small dark dots in mattress corners or tight spaces), bed bug eggs, and for live active bed bugs. The best way to prevent the spread of these pests is to take extra caution when acquiring furniture or when staying in hotels. Thoroughly check beds, including sheets and mattress cording, for signs of bed bug infestation. Keep luggage, clothing, and other personal items on luggage racks away from upholstered surfaces and walls.

While bed bugs are a nuisance and can cause small bumps and minor itching, they are not known to carry disease or cause other types of physical reaction. Since there is no immediate health concern to campers or guests, Sky Ranch focuses on prevention, and then limiting the spread of these insects, in the isolated cases where they are brought onto our properties. Sky Ranch has an aggressive protocol of elimination and cabin treatment, should we determine the presence of bed bugs. Because the safety and comfort of our campers and guests is of paramount importance, we take all reports of possible bed bugs seriously, and immediately bring our safety and security team to investigate the situation. In the event there is a confirmed or suspected case of bed bugs in your child's cabin, you will be notified.

Of primary importance is to examine your camper’s luggage and belongings prior to coming to camp, as bed bugs are often unknowingly transported in suitcases.

Please feel free to contact our Healthcare Director, Jennifer Watters, RN at JenW@SkyRanch.org with any questions.

Bed Bug Facts

  • Bed bugs are flattened, reddish-brown, oval shaped insects about ¼ in. long.
  • Bed bugs do not “jump” or “fly”; they crawl.
  • They are nocturnal (meaning they are more likely to move during the night-time hours.)
  • Most people experience itching, pain and/or swelling of the skin where bed bugs have bitten.
  • Bed bugs are spread through affected furniture or by hiding in items used during travel, such as suitcases
  • Bed bugs are commonly found in large buildings such as apartments, dormitories, hospitals, and hotels.
  • Before treating an area that you suspect has been affected, it is important that a professional correctly identifies the bug.

Colorado Specific Health Information

  • All Colorado campers must have a Sky Ranch specific physical form. A general school or athletic physical form will not be accepted.

    DOWNLOAD PHYSICAL FORM

  • Based on Colorado State Law and the requirements of the Colorado Department of Human Services, every medication that the camper brings to camp, including over the counter medications, must be listed on the hard copy physical form and signed by a provider.

  • A nurse is on site at our Colorado Camps, however a nurse it not present for all of the off-site activities that occur during these programs. If you have specific questions regarding this, or if your Colorado camper has specific health-related needs, please contact our Healthcare Director, Jennifer Watters at JenW@SkyRanch.org to discuss further.

  • Questions or Concerns: email GuestServices@SkyRanch.org or call 800.962.2267

Meet Our Staff

Jennifer Watters, RN, MSN

Healthcare Director
JenW@SkyRanch.org
903.266.3314

Jen received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch and also holds a Bachelors of Science in Biology from Stephen F. Austin as wells as a Masters of Science in Nursing Education from Lamar University. She has experience in case management, school nursing, and pediatrics, with an emphasis on the care of children with asthma and cystic fibrosis. Jen is responsible for oversight of the Sky Ranch health centers in Texas and Colorado.