The Student Health Center stopped accepting walk-ins recently, prompting waves of student backlash and confusion. In its four points for improvement, which include access, interaction, reliability and vitality, the health center clearly stepped backward in its first and second objectives.
Interaction includes communication between the health center and students, yet the health center placed a notice on Today@AU while providing no advance notice of the impending change. No prior warning about the change in walk-in policy was given to students, and the health center did not seek student input on the matter. Furthermore, why change the policy less than a month before finals? The stress and all-nighters students will have to go through in the coming weeks inevitably lead to sickness. Unfortunately, students - many of whom do not read the miles of text in Today@AU e-mails - received a rude surprise when they walked into the health center expecting medical aid and were turned away at the door.
With a small office and staff, we realize that walk-ins are sometimes hard to accommodate. Delays are to be expected, and eliminating walk-ins may eventually help to streamline and improve medical aid at the health center. We also appreciate that the health center will attempt to aid people who urgently need attention.
However, the timing of and communication about this change was poor and will not help the already-dubious image of the health center. Perhaps the change should have been implemented when the health center moves to McCabe Hall in spring 2005. When the center is on campus, it will have more room for students and easier access for on-campus residents.
We realize the health center is not trying to be a hospital, but it does provide services that require quick action, services that an appointment schedule - even same-day appointments - cannot accommodate. What if someone needs a morning-after pill? Will that person be told to come back later or to go to Sibley Hospital?
Even though there are some questions to be answered about this change, the timing and communication were awful, and instead of walking in its announcement, the health center should have made an appointment with the AU community to discuss it.
