Student Health Center Moves to Commons III

The Student Health Center, formerly located at Green Hall, made its move across campus to Wing A of Commons III over spring break, expanding its facilities and providing more services, opening March 26.

 

Patients are able to be seen during lunch hours now, since there is sufficient amount of space for staff to rotate shifts. Upgrades include two new procedure rooms and a total of 15 examination rooms.

 

The move was timed strategically so that while the majority of students were gone over spring break, the Student Health Center was able to move without much inconvenience to students. The clinic stopped seeing patients on Friday, March 16.

 

“One of the biggest things about moving so many people in a quick amount of time is that you can prepare and have contingency, but the execution still has to be taken with one issue, one day at a time,” Executive Director of Student Health and Wellness Keith Anderson said. “Overall, I think the move went very well.”

 

Throughout the entirety of the move, providing (check this work) physician Dr. Joanna Thomas was on call, graciously volunteering her services by referring students to other clinics while Liberty’s clinic was closed.

 

“I was very impressed by how smooth the move went,” Assistant Care Center Leader Kristine Stone said. “I mean, we started early, but we finished early. It was very fluent as in speaking or fluid as in motion. We didn’t have any major hiccups, considering how many different parties were involved.”

 

According Stone, students have more access to the clinic now that it is on campus and closer to most of the residential dorms.

 

“We don’t have to turn away patients because we have the space to see them now,” Stone said.

 

Along with the celebration of the Student Health Center’s new location, though, some Commons III residents are mourning the loss of parking area.

 

“After spring break, basically, the Commons III parking lot in the middle is almost completely either (Resident Director) spots or clinic spots,” Commons III resident and Liberty nursing student Alyssa Johnston said.

 

Even though students have lost close parking, students were told they still have access to parking area in Zone 4 and the parking lots on South Campus.

 

“It’s really irritating now, but I’m moving off campus next year … so I’ll probably appreciate it then, if I ever have to come into the clinic and need to park close,” Johnston said.

 

According to Anderson, students gained a new extension parking lot that is within walking distance. There is also the same amount of commuter parking available as there was before.

 

“I believe that there is adequate parking for students, but change is difficult for humanity,” Anderson said.

 

The Student Health Center & Wellness Initiatives plans to evaluate the impact of the clinic’s new location and its services in the weeks to follow.

 

“We always try to improve and meet needs,” Anderson said. “We tend to do whatever it takes to serve our students.”

 

Many of the Student Health Center’s improvements come from students leaving comments in surveys, bringing up issues they want changed.

 

“More students can be serviced, and more students can be cared for,” Anderson said. “And that’s essentially the bottom line of providing for these young people.”