Medical Clearance for First Year (Freshmen/Transfer) Student Athletes

Below outlines the steps needed to be medically cleared to participate in BSU Varsity Athletics.

Instructions are specific and detailed, please follow each accordingly. 

You must first be added to the team FRONTRUSH Roster by the Head Coach.  If you haven't done so already, please contact the Head Coach for your sport and ensure that you are on their current Frontrush Roster with all of your correct contact information (Full name, Date of Birth, cell phone #, and Bridgewater State University email address).

Once documents are completed and uploaded some will be listed as "under review" and may remain this way for several weeks.  Submitting Medical Clearance requirements does NOT mean you are medically cleared. ALL documents for every student athlete (550+) must be reviewed by the Sports Medicine staff. Thus the importance of completing requirements by the due dates.  (Student Athletes that have been on the roster before the due dates but wait to submit requirements within 2 weeks of the first practice, will not be eligibile to participate in the first practice.  Medical Clearance requirements submitted on the day of first practice will not be reviewed that day).

The Athletic Training-Sports Medicine staff will begin reviewing documents in JULY for the upcoming academic year. Please check your BSU email frequently regarding medical clearance needs.  Do not hesitate to contact the Athletic Training-Sports Medicine staff with any questions. 

LATE Additions to the roster (past the due dates): Must complete the medical clearance requirements immediately.

You will receive an email from j5obrien@bridgew.edu with the subject: BSU Medical Clearance 2023-2024, when the upcoming academic year medical clearance requirements are eligible to be submitted. Once you receive this email in your BSU email account you will soon receive the invitation to join Healthy Roster (our Electronic Medical Record platform) and links to take the Baseline Concussion Impact test (contact and collision sports/events).

1. Claim your Healthy Roster Account:  Log into your Bridgewater State University Email. You will receive an email from no-reply@healthyroster.com. 

NOTE: If you are NOT 18 yet, Healthy Roster will NOT send you an invitation until your 18th birthday.  We will reach out to you to determine if we will send the invitation to your parents or wait until your 18th birthday (If your birthday is June, July or early August we will wait to send you the invitation).

Follow the instructions in the Healthy Roster invitation email. Use the unique code in your email to create your account. Write down your username (bsu email address) and password for future use.  As a BSU student athlete, Healthy Roster will be used every year for medical clearance requirements, injury/illness documentation and participation status updates. Medical Clearance Requirements can be completed using the Healthy Roster website or by downloading the App from the app store(s).  

**Click here for Tips on scanning and uploading documents (Insurance card, physical, sickle cell trait and physicians notes)

2. UPLOAD 23-24 PHYSICAL -1st and 3rd Year:  All First Year student athletes (Freshmen/Transfers) are required to upload a copy of their most recent Physical.  This requirement should be a top priority because it can take several weeks to schedule an appointment for a new physical if needed.

⇒Per NCAA guidelines your physical must:

• Have been performed within 6 months of the start of your traditional or nontraditional season (whichever comes first). 
• State that you are "Cleared for participation in competitive sports without restrictions"
• Have a clear physical exam date written on they physical form signed by your physician.

CLICK HERE for Example of Physical Requirements.

⇒If your most recent physical is too old: (was more than 6 months ago) you will need to provide a new physical. We understand insurance will not pay for an additional physical in the same calendar year, but it is an NCAA requirement that is not negotiable. The BSU Wellness Center offers free physicals but must be scheduled in advance. To schedule call: 508-531-1252. If BSU Health Services is not a viable option, call your primary care physician to see how much an out of pocket physical will cost compared to a medical clinic physical (For example, CVS Minute Clinic physicals are approximately $75.00 and some healthcare organizations offer sports physicals for a lower price in August). BSU Physical Forms can be found in the forms tab here. 

⇒To upload your physical: On healthy Roster App: click on the (+) located in the top right corner of the screen. In the drop down menu, click on "2023-2024 BSU Physical Upload" and scan ALL PAGES of your physical using the Scanner App built into Healthy Roster or by uploading a file/image. DO NOT UPLOAD YOUR ENTIRE PATIENT PORTAL - PHYSICAL ONLY.  (If using the healthy roster website and not the app, select upload new document and click 23-24 Physical upload from document type drop down menu).  It is important to choose the appropriate document type.

3. UPLOAD 23-24 SICKLE CELL TRAIT STATUS  This should be made a priority because it can take time to get the Sickle Cell Trait Status results.

⇒The NCAA requires all member institutions to confirm each FIRST YEAR student-athlete's sickle cell trait status (SCTS). Student athletes who are positive for SCT will be allowed to participate in intercollegiate athletics. A positive status DOES NOT prohibit participation. 

⇒ SICKLE CELL TRAIT (SCT)  STATUS can be determined and confirmed in 1 of the following ways:  (RESULTS MUST SAY POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE). 

1. Existing documentation from birth via Newborn screening:
   • Most Student Athletes entering college have been tested for SCT as a standard genetic screening at birth.
   • CONTACT PEDIATRICIAN FOR SCT Status results IF you have had the same pediatrician since birth.
   • OUTSIDE OF NEW ENGLAND (Including CT):  If your pediatrician does not have your newborn screening results call the BSU Wellness Center to schedule a SCT lab test.
   • Massachusetts RESIDENTS: Print this form from the NE Newborn Screening Program (must have mother's name at birth and hospital born in) and fax it to them (results will come directly to the BSU Sports Medicine fax machine): Sickle Cell Authorization for Release Form
2. Recent SCT screening:
   • If you cannot confirm your Sickle Cell Trait Status from Newborn screening you can be tested for sickle cell trait status via your primary care physician and/or BSU Wellness Center. Please have your physician or the Wellness Center use the Sickle Cell Trait Verfication form.  
   • INTERNATIONAL student athletes:call the BSU wellness center to schedule a Sickle Cell Trait lab test.

We have found that the best way to get your SCT Status is to Fax the completed authorization form to the New England Newborn Screening Registry (Each state except CT has their own form) OR call your PCP or BSU Wellness Center to schedule a SCT lab test.

⇒ To upload your sickle cell trait results/documentation: On healthy Roster App: click on the (+) located in the top right corner of the screen. In the drop down menu, click on "23-24 SICKLE CELL TRAIT STATUS" and scan ALL PAGES of your SCT Status results using the Scanner App built into Healthy Roster or by uploading a file/image. (If using the healthy roster website and not the app, select upload new document and click "23-24 SICKLE CELL TRAIT STATUS"  from document type drop down menu).  It is important to choose the appropriate document type.  Please note that the documentation must clearly state SICKLE CELL TRAIT POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE. We do not accept lab results only that do not clearly state POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.  Please have your physician use the Sickle Cell Trait Verfication form.

4. SUBMIT PHYSICIAN NOTES: Any recent or unhealed injuries, illnesses, concussions, or surgeries require additional clearance notes.  It is important to make this a priority because it may require an appointment with the treating physican.

⇒ Uploaded any MD notes into Healthy Roster using the (+) sign in the top right corner of the App and select "23-24 BSU Physician Note Upload". If using the healthy roster website and not the app, select upload new document and click "23-24 BSU Physician Note upload" from document type drop down menu. Label the Document that you are uploading with Last name, diagnosis clearance note and date. If you need a Referall form they can be found here. 

5. UPLOAD 23-24 Insurance Card-Yearly: Take a clear image of the FRONT of your current health insurance card (must be a jpg, png or pdf) with your phone and using the upload document (website) or + (app) to add your insurance card to healthy roster. YOU must select the correct document type (23-24 Insurance Card-Yearly). 

6 - 9. COMPLETE THE 4 DOCUMENTS LABELED "REQUIRED" OR "MISSING": Once you log into Healthy Roster, view your profile and click on the Documents tab to find the 4 documents that need to be filled out. Once a document is completed it will move from Missing Documents to Uploaded Documents.  You must complete all the required fields and signatures on each document. If you close the form without signing this form will now be under the heading "documents awaiting signatures" with a green icon to the right prompting you to open and sign.

10.  IMPACT CONCUSSION BASELINE ASSESSEMENT TEST:  ALL First Year collision/contact sport student athletes (except non contact sports - XC, T&F, Swimming, and Men's/Women's Tennis) need to complete an at home Impact Concussion Baseline Assessment. This is a 30-40 minute computer assessment that needs to be completed every 2 years. You will receive an email from j5obrien@bridgew.edu with instructions and an email from AtHomeTest@impacttest.com with a UNIQUE testing code.  Please follow the directions in the email to complete your Impact test. These emails will be sent out starting in July.

• COVID-19 VACCINATION STATUS:  Be prepared to provide covid vaccination documentation in the event that you are deemed a close contact and quarantine status needs to be determined.