BY CORIE LYNN
Between classes, jobs and other campus activities, students at Fort Hays State University find themselves with busy schedules and health concerns can only add to the stress of university life.
However, easy access to healthcare is a part of campus life that can ease students’ concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The FHSU Student Health Center, located in the basement of Memorial Union, provides a variety of on-campus services. According to SHC Director Lynn Adams, the purpose of the health center is “to provide healthcare service on campus and to take care of state regulations,” such as tuberculosis screenings and meningitis vaccinations.
The Student Health Center Staff includes two nurse practitioners, two registered nurses and a part-time physician. This team of medical professionals provides the FHSU community with a variety of services.
“We are able to prescribe medication,” Adams said. And, as the SHC has its own lab, “We can certainly draw blood or [take] other samples.”
In addition, the health center can conduct routine examinations, treat skin problems, give outside referrals, and test for and treat sexually transmitted diseases. According to Adams, the staff also sees students for women’s health services, such as pap smears, and minor illnesses, such as respiratory infections.
“That’s probably just in general the most common [service the SHC provides],” he said.
In an effort to promote physical health on campus, the health center staff visits classes and occasionally provides free services to students.
According to Adams, these no-cost flu vaccine clinics in late September through October as well as free testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea. He emphasized the necessity of the latter service for students.
“Women are typically good about checking [for STDs]”, he said, “but we need more men coming in.”
Students returning to the Student Health Center this semester will notice some changes to their visits. As campus has implemented new policies, such as masks in classrooms and hybrid-style courses to combat the spread of COVID-19, the health center has also updated their procedures for the safety of visitors and staff.
Adams explains that students must now make appointments over the phone or online. When they arrive at the SHC for their appointment, they will check in outside of the office and wait for a nurse to come get them. The student will then have their temperature checked before being taken to an exam room.
Within the health center, staff members are masked and gloved, and exam rooms are set aside specifically for students with symptoms of COVID-19 and those being tested for the virus.
What has not changed for the SHC is their payment process. Though most services have a cost, Adams explained that the health center will bill insurance as well.
“If students are unable to pay,” he said, “we have other options for discounts.”
As vital as health services are, Adams explained that easy access to the care the Student Health Center provides is important, especially as many students come from places outside of Hays that have more limited access to services the SHC provides.
“It’s important to have options to receive healthcare,” he said. “[…] It [also] helps them to learn and grow in their healthcare.”
To schedule an appointment or to learn more about the Student Health Center, its services and Hays health resources, students can visit the health center website.