Students accustomed to walk-in hours at the Student Health Center are surprised to learn that they have been discontinued to make way for new policies. This is part of a new initiative to improve services at the center, according to Bethany Chiaramonte, director of the center.
The move was part of Chiaramonte's agenda entitled, "Four Elements of SHC Improvement Plan," which addresses "access, interaction, reliability and vitality" of the health center. Meanwhile, renovations to McCabe Hall, the health center's future home, will provide more hours, services and privacy to students.
"Although walk-ins as the only [health center] access is going away, we still provide for urgent care," Chiaramonte said. "If someone is urgently ill, we can assess those students and work them into a provider's schedule." Chiaramonte affirmed that the new space in McCabe will allow more students to be seen at one time.
Chiaramonte said that "ideally all [health center] services will be available on an appointment basis," though there are many other options available to students.
The health center offers "Open Access Scheduling," a service in which students can call and make an appointment for the same day, she said.
"We want students to be able to get services when they need them," Chiaramonte said, illustrating her first point. This includes creating more available telephone access, improving health center hours, and improving appointment scheduling for students.
Walk-in service "cannot guarantee [a student] will see the provider of choice," according to a health center service announcement.
"Every effort is made to fit people in who truly need to be seen," Chiaramonte said. Therefore, if students make an appointment, they will be able to meet with the care provider of their choice.
If students have a medical question but do not want to make an appointment, the health center offers "Suburban On Call," a service where students can call get advice from a registered nurse.
Chiaramonte's second plan emphasizes the quality of communication and interaction between the health center and students. Chiaramonte wants the health center to be a place where students want to come if they need to see a physician or are seeking medical advice.
Chiaramonte is also concerned with the services provided for students.
"Are we providing services that appropriately address the clinical needs of students?" she asks in her third point.
Chiaramonte addresses the quality of the Center's environment in her fourth point on the improvement plan. Chiaramonte wants to offer better physician coverage, is concerned with the continuity of care and hopes to make the overall Center environment a friendlier place.
Chiaramonte is confident that the move to a larger, more efficient space in McCabe will allow for these betterments.
The health center plans to relocate to McCabe in spring 2005 in order to overall improve conditions of the health center for the AU community, according to Chiaramonte.
In renovated McCabe, the health center will have 5,500 square feet of space to operate, compared to the 1,500 square feet Nebraska Hall offers, according to Chiaramonte.
"Right now we are constrained by the amount of space we have," she said. In McCabe, the health center staff will be able to "move patients through more quickly."
Chiaramonte also said that instead of four usable exam rooms, there will be eight that "will be much more private."
"[The current health center has] a couple of exam rooms right off of the waiting room. Sometimes [patients in the waiting room] can hear conversations in the exam rooms," said Chiaramonte, who is disappointed with the current conditions, but is "very excited" to move into McCabe. "[The new health center] will be incredibly more private."
Aside from allowing for more student confidentiality, doubling the number of exam rooms will also allow more students to be admitted to the Center at one time, she said.
"Right now, wait times are long because there are not enough exam rooms and not enough room for clinical support," Chiaramonte said. "When students sit here for an hour it makes me crazy. [Nebraska] prevents us from doing as good a job as I'd like to see."
Although McCabe is old, renovations will greatly improve the quality of the building and the space it will provide for the health center, Chiaramonte said.
Renovators are "gutting the space, [McCabe] will be brighter; it will offer space for better technology and will be able to accommodate a larger clinical staff," Chiaramonte said. "The architects are great. Every suggestion I've made [for improvement] is incorporated into their plans."
Aside from expanding the clinical space, the health center's Student Wellness Program will also be more elaborate.
Plans for the Wellness Center include a resource library, health education resources and a women's health program, Chiaramonte said.
The Wellness Center will also provide new services, such as space for student health organizations and programming like yoga and tai chi.
"I can't wait," Chiaramonte said about McCabe. "[McCabe] will definitely allow for a more patient-friendly environment. [The move] is worth the wait."
More information is available at x3380 or by email at studenthealthcenter@american.edu.
To contact a registered nurse at Suburban On Call, call (301) 896-3939.
