Today: Mar 29, 2024

Southern’s health center at your service

Jessica Pellegrino – General Assignment Reporter

Granoff Hall, the on-campus student health center, is a great resource for students. However, because it is right in the middle of several dorms, it is not often taken advantage of by commuters. Sometimes, it is just too far away. Commuters do not often have to time to get themselves over to the health center to use its services.

That was the idea that brought “Health Services Hits the Road” to life. The concept is if students can not make time to go to Health Services, the services will be brought to them.

Diane Morgenthaler, the Student Health and Wellness Center Director, is one of the brains behind the idea.

“We are working with the Wellness Center,” said Morgenthaler, “to bring health services to students who would not regularly be able to get them.”

The program will kick off on Monday, September 28th, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Health services will be offering discreet sexually transmitted disease testing in the back of the student center. Health Center workers will be stationed at the front of the student center to direct interested students to the testing facilities.

“The back of the student center, right near the bathrooms, is a discreet area, but it is also an accessible spot on campus. But, we are always open to suggestions for better spots to run the programs,” says Morgenthaler.

The current STD testing program will run on Mondays this semester. Morgenthaler is using the first 100 days to test the program. If it’s successful, there could be expansion to itlater on.

“After each student is serviced, we are asking them to fill out a short survey so we can get a grasp of the program’s success,” says Morgenthaler.

Morgenthaler hopes this event will help in Southern’s mission to get as many students tested for STDs as possible.

There will be two nurse practitioners at each event, in case any students have questions regarding their health. The nurses will be there to answer all health related questions, not just those regarding sex or sexually transmitted diseases.

This is not the only out-of-office event that the Health Center has planned for this semester. They also plan to bring back to Rate My Plate event at Conn Hall.

Students are challenged to create what they believe is a perfect, nutritionally balanced plate using dining hall food. The Health Center will provide a team of nutritionists to rate the submitted plates based on a number of nutritional criteria including nutritional content and fat in the meal. Students who create the most balanced meals will be given a prize for their knowledge. This event will run as a part of the Wellness Wednesdays series put on by the Health Center.

The Health Center is also partnering with the University in Tobacco Tuesdays. Every Tuesday, the Health Center will be offering programs educating students on Southern’s new tobacco-free campus initiative. This is a part of the first year of the initiative’s goal of educating the entire student body on the new policies. Tobacco Tuesdays will also provide students with valuable information involving cessation programs to help smokers quit.

Photo Credit: Staff Photo

 

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