4-H at the Minnesota State Fair-Health Care

Health Care and Health Information Cards

General Information
A registered nurse is on duty 16 hours a day. The Nurse's Office is on the third floor of the 4-H Building and is available for registered 4-H participants and chaperones ONLY. All others must be referred to the State Fair First Aid Station. Each 4-H State Fair participant (adult and youth), must have on file a up to date "4-H Member Information and Authorization Sheet." A parent or gaurdian must have signed this sheet. The information is needed to authorize appropriate medical attention in case of an accident or illness. Persons under 18 years of age cannot be treated without this signature. We must also have a signed authorization form from the parent to release information about the patient for insurance purposes and to indicate financial responsibility in the event that insurance does not cover the incident. The up to date 4-H Member Information and Authorization Sheet must be part of the county paperwork presented at the time of final registration. Please sort by encampment and then alphabetize these sheets before turning them in.
Handicapped members or participants with health concerns should be identified on the housing report by marking an asterick(*) beside the name(s). Please indicate the concern and provide information regarding special needs that the nurse or other staff may need to provide maximum assistance on the "4-H Member Information and Authorization Sheet."

Click here for the "4-H Member Information and Authorization Sheet"

Special Notes from the Nursing Staff

Members should come to the fair with old, worn, comfortable shoes. Blisters and sore feet are NO FUN!
For members with allergy problems, send their usual allergy medicine with them--the one they are used to taking for relief. Since this is a pre-existing condition, 4-H does not pay for a visit to the doctor and prescriptions cannot be written without seeing a doctor.
Educators - Please determine if any of your participants have any conditions requiring the bottom bunk and note it on the housing form. It's much easier for the dormitory staff to make assignments to bottom bunks than to change them after encampments arrive. We don't want to embarrass some participants by changing bunks after they've already moved in. The nurses may require participants to change bunks if necessary. The nurses review every Member Information Sheet and record which bunk those with medical problems are sleeping in.

Health Care Policy at State 4-H Events

Each 4-H member and volunteer leader is covered with medical insurance during the time they participate at a State 4-H event. At State Fair, a nurse has been hired to be on duty and the dormitory staff has access to an emergency vehicle 24 hours a day. All health concerns must be referred to the nurse because the health insurance will not cover trips to the emergency room without prior consent of the nurse on duty. In addition to being seen by the nurse, each 4-H participant must have a signed 4-H Member Information and Authorization Sheet on file or 4-H can not treat the participant. If there is not a signed information sheet on file for an injured or ill 4-H participant, guardian consent will be sought via telephone.
Should an accident or illness occur, the 4-H participant should be referred to or brought to the nurse immediately. The nurse on duty at the time will determine the appropriateness of referring the individual on for further treatment. If this is not possible and the participant needs to go to the emergency room, then, it is the responsibility of the participant to notify the nurse of the incident so that the proper paperwork will be written up for insurance purposes. This is VERY IMPORTANT! NO ONE EXCEPT THE NURSE ON DUTY IS AUTHORIZED TO SEND A PATIENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM UNLESS THEIR CONDITION IS OBVIOUSLY LIFE THREATENING. Should a life threatening emergency occur, the signed 4-H Member Information and Authorization Sheet should be retrieved if feasible to authorize treatment for the individual. If this is not feasible, the nurse should be contacted as soon as possible and he/she will contact the hospital directly.