Position Description
The Health Director is responsible for the health and well-being of both staff and campers on a 24-hour basis. The HD provides first aid to campers, which may include dealing with tick bites, sprains, cuts and scrapes as well as handling emotional/behavioral medical issues, and working with the cook on dietary needs. The HD is also solely responsible for managing camper medications and giving out meds at meals and bedtime.
The HD maintains the health cabin and its supplies, manages camper medical paperwork, completes incident reports for each incident and completes a weekly report for Albany. The HD is also responsible for monitoring staff health and encouraging them to remain healthy during the busy summer season. The HD works with the health and safety plan and their local department of health inspector to ensure the health and safety of the camp.
Beginning in 2021, health directors will need to monitor and enforce COVID-19 protocols.
Ideally, once set up, a health director’s position should have downtime (when there aren’t incident reports and injuries) and a health director can then participate more fully in camp. The health director may participate in skits, field trips, and camp programming as time allows.
The Health Director assures that New York State Health Department requirements are reviewed and complied with; camp infirmary meets requirements; facilities are prepared; lessons, work plans and special programs are developed; and staff training is carried out. During the camp season, the Health Director oversees the camp program that includes 50-60 new campers each week for a total of more than 400 campers for the summer.
Specific duties include, but not limited to:
- Distributes and monitors campers medications;
- Maintains records of all medications, injuries, accidents as required by the Department of Health
- Monitors camps living quarters for health and safety concerns
- Works with Camp Director to transport campers as needed to and from local urgent care, emergency rooms, doctor offices and field trip locations.
- Meets camper’s parents/guardians during camper check-in to review medical forms
- Maintains camp’s lost and found, camp’s supply of bedding, towels and extra camper clothing
- Assists Camp Director with camper homesickness and evaluation of camper’s ability to stay at camp when issues arise such as homesickness, inability to follow rules and medication complications
- Maintains camp infirmary, monitors environmental and individual’s health (staff and campers) and prepares accident and illness reports; and
- On call 24/7 while camp is in session to accompany sick or injured campers to the hospital or urgent care.
Minimum Qualifications
Physician*, nurse practitioner*, physician assistant*, registered nurse*, licensed practical nurse*, emergency medical technician or other person acceptable to the Department of Health permit-issuing official. (* To practice profession in New York State, must be NYS licensed). CPR/AED certification acceptable to the Department of Health in its first year of certification. NYS Driver’s license.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Environmental Education Summer Camps Program Description
NYSDEC Environmental Education Summer Camps combine environmental education, hunter education and outdoor recreation to create an adventurous experience for 11-17 year old campers. We use a fun, hands-on approach to teach about the environment.
Our week-long, overnight programs serve campers in two age groups: 11-13 years old or 14-17 years old. There are four camps around the state: Camp Colby near Saranac Lake and Pack Forest near Warrensburg both located in the Adirondacks, Camp DeBruce in the Catskill Mountains and Camp Rushford in Allegany County in western New York. Campers arrive on Sunday afternoon and leave on Friday at 4:30 PM.
Campers learn outdoor skills including backpacking, camping and canoeing. First hand experiences in the outdoors have inspired many campers with a life-long passion for nature and a dedication to stewardship of our natural resources.
Campers also explore New York’s diverse habitats, have the chance to learn basic ecological concepts and how human activities affect the environment. Campers solve challenges, explore environmental concepts, practice outdoor skills and spend the week immersed in nature.
NYSDEC Mission: To conserve, improve and protect New York’s natural resources and environment and to prevent, abate and control water, land and air pollution, in order to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state and their overall economic and social well-being.