Your child's health, safety and well-being are our top priority at Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer. Each year, we take time to evaluate our medical protocols and practices using recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Camp Association (ACA), North Carolina State Health and Human Services, Pamlico County Health Department, and from guidance from our Camp Medical Advisory Committee.
And while we hope your camper never has a need to experience our Health Center, we are ready if needed. Over the summer, the Health Centers are staffed 24 hours a day by registered nurses and onsite volunteer physicians at each Camp. We also consult doctors in the New Bern area as needed in special circumstances and situations.
We approach supporting and ensuring individual campers and the overall Camp Community's health and well-being in the following ways:
Community Health Best Practices
Every summer we work hard to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Under the guidance of our physician medical committee, we practice hygiene measures in the cabins and take a variety of precautions to support camper health in our dining facilities. Additionally, we work with our campers to ensure they are well hydrated in the summer heat and taking appropriate precautions to avoid sunburn and insect bites. With the appearance of COVID-19, we updated many of our health and safety protocols to take the best possible care of our camp community. We will continue many of these protocols to keep our community healthy in future summers as well.
Camper check-in on arrival days will include a wellness screening to ensure the best experience for all. Pre-arrival COVID-19 testing will not be required for summer 2023. Additional details can be found on our FAQ page.
Providing Acute Medical Services
Our team of nurses and volunteer physicians stand ready to provide any needed medical response, assistance and support for campers at Sea Gull & Seafarer. They are prepared to respond to many of the common health challenges that occur at camp: infected bug bites, cuts and scrapes, swimmer’s ear, jellyfish stings, cold symptoms, etc. In the event your child visits the Health Center, there is no charge for any routine medical care provided by our Health Team. However, any needed/required prescriptions and/ or diagnostic testing will be charged to the camper's account. In the unlikely event a camper requires medical attention or service at a medical facility other than Camps’ Health Centers, all charges will be billed to the parents unless the facility files your insurance as a courtesy.
Supporting Mental and Emotional Health
Your camper's mental and emotional health is just as important to us as their physical health. For us to support this aspect of your child's well-being, it is very important that you let us know before camp about any past or current struggles they have or have had with their mental and emotional health when completing your camper's online forms. Emotional and mental health concerns are common and thoroughly informing our Camp team about these aspects of your child before they arrive at Camp will help us better support them during their time with us. If you are wondering if something is worth mentioning, please go ahead and contact us, even if you don’t think it will affect your child’s time at camp.
A note about ADHD: Because we have a very structured schedule, children who are on medication for ADD/ADHD often have a better experience if they stay on their medication at Camp. If you have any questions, concerns or have made any recent medication changes, please contact us prior to your child’s session.
Monitoring and Being Attentive to Behavior
Living in a community is a great opportunity for our campers to grow their interpersonal skills, leadership, independence, and confidence. Maintaining a safe and healthy environment is crucial for this growth. Our staff are trained to recognize harmful behavior, are attentive to campers' needs and respond appropriately. Monitoring and responding to inappropriate behavior is a part of everyone at Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer's job. This includes interactions between staff with campers, as well as camper-to-camper interactions. We are committed to building a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone where we treat one another with respect and dignity. At the beginning of each session, the Code of Conduct is reviewed and discussed in each cabin and each Camper signs the form as they commit to doing what is right during their time at Camp.
Partnering to Ensure Camp's Community Health
New for Camp Families
There is always a chance that your child will need to leave Camp for unforeseen circumstances (illness, behavior issues, injury). To that end, parents must designate someone as their child's Emergency Pick-Up Contact. This Emergency Pick-Up Contact is someone who, within 12-24 hours of receiving a phone call from Camp, would be able to pick your child up from Sea Gull or Seafarer if needed - in the event we are unable to get in contact with parents or guardians. As you complete the forms process for the summer, we appreciate your thoughtful consideration of whom your Emergency Pick-Up Contact might be in the event it is needed. If you have any questions, please call the Camp office.
Please be sure to read our additional, specific information on medical care while your camper is at Camp.
Medications
Campers are not allowed to keep any medication in their cabins - including over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements. Medications taken daily are dispensed by our nurses at breakfast, lunch, dinner and at bedtime. If your child requires medication at another time in the day, please contact us before camp to discuss their needs.
If your camper needs medications (prescribed or over the counter) while they are at Camp – you will submit a prescription through Realo Pharmacy - Realo Information
Communication with Camp
Communication with Camp starts with the camper forms, which are completed through the online portal. Please share anything you feel we need to know about your camper to successfully place them in a cabin and care for them while at camp. We read these carefully! If you would like to have further conversations prior to camp, we encourage you to reach out to Lydia Warren (Camp Seafarer) or Liz Morgan (Camp Sea Gull).
Once at camp, no news is good news! We will contact you if we have any concerns about your child’s social, emotional, or physical health. You can count on us to reach out in the following situations to partner with you to best support your child:
- Your child is staying overnight in the health center
- Your child will need a new prescription or repeated over-the-counter medication
- Your child needs to go off-site for medical care for any reason
- Your camper is experiencing a mental health crisis or prolonged homesickness
- Your camper has violated our code of contact
You can reach the Health Center directly at any time by calling the main Camp number. After the office has closed, there will be an option to connect you to the Health Center staff.
More resources can be found on our Partnering with Parents page.