Student Health Services adding new programs
Sunniya Marquez
Daily Egyptian
The 57,000 square feet of mud, concrete and metal that currently sits next to the Recreational Center should be up and running as the campus' Student Health Programs facility by the beginning of fall semester. Cheryl Presley, director of Student Health Programs, said the new building will provide all campus healthcare services in one area, such as pharmacy and insurance, physical therapy, emergency dental services, as well as counseling services, which are currently located at Woody Hall. Other new services that will be introduced include dermatological services and optometry. Presley said she hopes the department's new system of same-day appointments as well as the 33 new exam rooms that will be constructed will allow health care providers to see more patients and provide more accessibility for students who live on the east side of campus.
"Students have to get in so they can be seen, and very often they have busy schedules. With an open access policy, students don't have to wait till they're very sick to be seen," Presley said. While construction is well underway on the new facilities, Chris Labyk, assistant director to Student Health Care Programs, said the department still falls short when it comes to finances and is looking for ways to raise $2 million to put toward a circulating library, an outdoor patio, updating old medical equipment and computer programs to educate students on health concerns such as stress management.
One campaign that the department has put together in order to raise the needed money is an engraved brick program open to anyone who wants dedicate a brick in someone's memory. Bricks can be purchased in measurements of 4-by-8 inches for $100 or 8-by-8 inches for $200 each. The engraved bricks will line the front path to the new health center. Labyk said one of the goals of the new center is to create an atmosphere in which students will want to come to relax. "We want the center to be a place where people come to for treatment and care but also to act as a third space-somewhere you would want to hang out at," Labyk said.
Labyk also said the new center will take some adjusting for the health care faculty as well, which has been spread all over campus until now. "Hopefully we'll all get to know each other better," Labyk said. Lolita Mack, a graduate student from Carbondale studying workforce education, said the department has been long overdue for a move to a more accessible area. "I think it's better to have it close to the rec, because if you get injured working out at the rec, it makes no sense to have to go to student health services all the way across campus. Also, a majority of student body lives on the east side of campus," Mack said.
Last update: Thursday, March 10, 2005 at 2:28:16 PM
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