Student Health Care finds a new home

Student Health Services (SHS) changed both its address and services this summer. It has moved to 319 1/2 W. Lorain Street and is offering expanded services and providing more preventative and wellness care.

"Student health has been a major priority of the College over the summer," said Joe DiChristina, associate dean of student life and services.

Student Health Services (SHS) has six times the physical space in its new location, extended office hours and an on-site lab. Also, a self-care station with cold and wound packets for minor ailments and pharmaceutical services for common prescriptions and over-the-counter medications will soon be available.

"We feel like we will be providing more customer service oriented care," said Lori Hieronymus, nurse practitioner and director of SHS.

The increased wellness services include a 24-hour, seven day a week toll-free HealthChoice Nurse Access Service (1-800-322-9679). The access line connects students with a registered nurse who can help assess medical and health problems, provide self-care information and medical referral information. The same number can access the HealthChoice Medical Information Line, an audio information library that provides information on over 450 health-related topics.

The College is also developing a wellness center in the Student Union. The center will have resources and information about healthy life styles and diets and other issues related to student health and illness prevention.

"Students have been really positive and supportive with the health center in Wilder and the nurse line," said Lori Morgan Flood, health education and wellness coordinator.

"In terms of staffing we now have one full-time nurse practitioner, a half-time nurse practitioner, a full-time nurse, a half-time nurse, a receptionist and two doctors with hours to see students," said DiChristina. "The wonderful part of the program is the expanded staffing."

"Lori has a lot of care and knowledge. Because of that she is in a great position to work with students," he said.

Oberlin has contracted with Collegiate Health Care (CHC), a national health care management organization whose core market is student health care, to implement and manage the expanded Student Health Service.

Student Health Services is no longer contracted with the Oberlin Clinic, Urgent Care, or the Emergency Room at Allen Memorial Hospital. As a result Oberlin's Supplemental Health Service will only cover visits to those locations if student's family insurance plan won't cover them. However, all wellness and routine medical care at SHS is included as part of the cost of attending Oberlin.

"The place to go is the 24-hour Nurse line if they have questions about if they need to go to Urgent Care that night or if they can wait," said Hieronymus.

Oberlin began the process of revamping SHS last year after the departure of College Physician Judith Appleton. Appleton had served as director of Student Health Services for 20 years. The College's Health Plan Board and Health Plan Advisory Council moved to refocus how students receive health care. "The Health Care Advisory Council spearheaded the changes in service," said Hieronymus.

The stakeholders hired J.P Foley Company to draft a study outlining what the College wanted in a health plan. They then created a request for proposal and began accepting bids from health care management companies. "There was illness care available but not a lot of accessibility last year to health promotion and wellness going on," said Hieronymus. "There was a lot of student dissatisfaction with the old system."

Charles Ross, Director of the Counseling Center, commented, "I hope that it will be more effective, and that we are committed to making it work.

Health center: The new student health center is open on Lorain Street. (photo by Noah Mewborn)