Today, we tackle a complex issue brought forward by an anonymous student regarding the “lack of access to, or clear steps to get, medical help” on campus. Today’s response to this concern comes from Hannah Kuehl, the Assistant Director of Student Wellness at OSU-Cascades.
Hannah writes:
At this time, we do not have the space for an on-campus health clinic, which would be necessary to host a clinical provider. However, a student health clinical treatment room is included in our plans for the new Student Success Center when it opens in 2024.
Currently, Student Wellness offers the following health services for students:
- Free provider visits via telehealth for primary and acute care, including the ability to receive a referral in the community for follow-up and specialized care
- Medication management and prescriptions via telehealth
- Specialized medical interventions, such as smoking cessation
- 24/7 medical nurse advice line via telephone
- Health referral assistance to community providers, including individualized visits to find free or low-cost care
- Health insurance enrollment and assistance
- Mental health counseling services
Student Wellness is located in Tykeson Hall, in the 210 suite. There in the entrance hall you’ll find brochures with low-cost clinics, Medicaid information, and resources for many types of behavioral and physical health services. We also offer safe sex products, band aids, and other hygiene supplies.
Currently, we advertise wellness programming and services via weekly tabling in the Beaver Dam, on the Student Wellness webpage and social media, CampusGroups, campus bulletin boards, as well as through Beaver Tracks and the weekly Student Life Newsletter.,
We are also continuously looking for ways to increase service and program offerings and awareness.If you have ideas for how we can do this better, we are open to improving our messaging and modalities. Drop a comment below.
Student Wellness puts on a variety of health programming, education, and wellness initiatives. We have in the past and will again hold a health fair for students to become better acquainted with various providers in the Central Oregon community, including urgent care, primary care, specialty care, low-cost care clinics, and alternative care providers.The fair will be held in March.
Since being back on campus, we have been working on a large initiative to develop sexual and reproductive health programming and education, as well as community resource awareness, and free product around campus. We have partnered with Planned Parenthood to train students who are interested in sexual and reproductive health as collegiate ambassadors, Plus, to reduce the financial burden on students, we have made partnerships in the community to provide free safe sex supplies for our students. In the upcoming weeks, we will be expanding product availability and visibility through a few different mechanisms.
Per the student’s concern for behavioral health services, counseling services are in high demand in our region, as well as across the United States. While this student’s concern is valid, this issue is a concern nationwide. We have increased university counseling services from one to two full-time counselors and have also created an internship program so that we may increase the level of services provided to students. Oftentimes, our counselors can get students scheduled for an initial intake within the week, and almost certainly within two weeks, which is above average wait times compared to national standards. We are considering additional solutions to better meet the mental health needs of our students, as needs have increased drastically over the past few years. One consideration is to utilize a virtual counseling service. We are currently gathering data to find out if this type of service would be utilized and welcomed by students as a valuable resource. Beyond direct counseling services, we offer groups for students interested in receiving peer-support, including students seeking support to live a sober life. We also offer an ongoing suicide prevention training for students, faculty, and staff, and utilize grants and community partnerships to help fund various wellness initiatives, including paying staff through grants to help reduce student fees.
Health services are a point of frustration with a lack of accessibility for many persons living in the United States. They have been further complicated by the increased demand for health services and providers due to COVID-19, which has left a deficit for care that is not urgent or emergent.
We continue to try to be creative to find workarounds for students so that we may assist them in accessing affordable care at their time of need, but we understand that with a future clinical treatment center planned, we will be able to expand our approach.
We’re open to input and ways that we can better meet student needs. Please contact me at studentwellness@osucascades.edu
CATEGORIES: Student Feedback