Florence Health & Wellness Services
Services in Florence
Medical
NYU Florence has a doctor on campus one day a week for two to three hours at a time. This service is free of charge. Students can sign up for appointments online or via the Office of Student Life at Villa Natalia.
The Student Life Staff can help students make appointments with physicians, specialists, or for exams. The following are private clinics frequently accessed by students:
- Medical Service
- Instituto Fanfani
- Villa Donatello
- Prosperius
The public hospitals are generally utilized for emergencies and related follow-up care only. Student Life staff is available to accompany students to the hospital in an emergency, if needed. There are four public hospitals in Florence:
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi
- Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova
- Ospedale San Giovanni di Dio (Torregalli)
- Ospedale Santa Maria Annunziata (Ponte a Niccheri)
Mental Health
To meet the diverse mental health and wellness needs of our students, NYU Florence has two onsite Clinical Psychologists who are on campus for support to students during their time abroad and to assist students in connecting locally to any additional mental health resources required. Dr. Fernandes is available full time, and Dr. Silvia Fiammenghi is available part time to provide counseling to students as needed.
Silvia Fiammenghi, Psy.D
She, her, hers
Title: Global Wellness Counselor, NYU Florence
Education: BA/MA, Psychology, PsyD
To request an appointment or to get in touch with the counselors, please send an email to florence.counseling@nyu.edu.
Prepare for Florence
Medical
Required Vaccinations
- Meningococcal vaccine is required for all undergraduate students.
Recommended Vaccinations
- Hepatitis A and B vaccines
- Tetanus
First-Year Students
All first-year students are required to comply with the NYU Health Requirements for All Students.
Additional Resources
Mental Health
While studying abroad is an incredible experience, it often takes time to adjust to a new culture, living arrangements, food, language and immersion into the unfamiliar. Some students feel overwhelmed, others homesick. Some afraid, others depressed. Students may periodically feel out of sorts.
The attitudes toward counseling, or therapy, vary from one country to another. Similarly, the availability of resources and type of services may be different from what a student is accustomed to in their home country. Students must plan ahead before departure! Call the Wellness Exchange at +1.212.443.9999 or write to wellness.exchange@nyu.edu if help is needed in making connections to mental health professionals abroad.
Prescriptions
If a student is presently taking prescribed psychotropic medication, the student must meet with their prescribing physician to discuss. Not all psychotropic medications are available in the countries a student may be traveling to. Students should contact the Wellness Exchange to inquire about availability of their prescriptions in Italy.
In the event that a prescription is not available in Italy, students should receive enough medication to last until their return (Note: for some conditions and some medications, this is not possible). If the student's prescription is available in Italy, the onsite Clinical Psychologists or the Wellness Exchange can provide the student with referrals to local psychiatrists who accept the student's insurance and who can see the student (in collaboration with their home provider and the onsite counselor) and write prescription refills. Please note that prescriptions from foreign doctors cannot be filled in Italy.
The Moses Center for Student Accessibility
Students in need of disability-related accommodations who are considering global opportunities at NYU are strongly encouraged to contact the Moses Center before choosing a site. An Accessibility Specialist is able to discuss accessibility and accommodations at locations of interest.
If you have already chosen a site and are currently registered with the Moses Center, be sure to contact your Accessibility Specialist before you arrive at your site to discuss transferring accommodations.
If you have already chosen a site and are not registered with the Moses Center but anticipate you might need accommodations, please visit the Moses Center website to register. It is best to register before arriving at your site, but you can request accommodations at any time.
Health Insurance
New York University requires that students studying away as part of their education program be covered under an NYU-sponsored Student Health Insurance plan. Students must continue to maintain health insurance coverage in their home countries in the event they need to return home.