A Faculty Senate meeting was held in the auditorium on Friday, Oct. 4., Patty Owens, an RN at the Student Health Center on campus, was a guest speaker at the meeting. Owens spoke about her role in the Health Center, as well as what they provide, and the responsibilities that students now have regarding Covid protocols.
The Student Health Center runs similarly to a doctor’s office or an urgent care facility. They can run labs, take x-rays, and prescribe medications. The center is also able to run tests for Mono, Strep, and Covid.
If a student is sick and receives antibiotics from The Student Health Center, they will also receive a phone call as a reminder to finish them on time, so that they may return to class.
Owens talked about The Health Center’s responsibilities during the height of the pandemic, and what they are now.
“It’s been a nightmare, but we are a lot further than where we were,” said Owens.
The Health Center is allowed to treat students if they test positive for Covid.
“We can now treat that as an endemic, like the flu,” said Owens. This means that the student cannot go to class for 24 hours, and a fever, worsening, or new onset of symptoms requires the student to then isolate until they approve.
During the peak of Covid, The Student Health Center oversaw all students on campus who needed to be isolated. For example, they were able to see if students swiped their ID cards around campus while they were supposed to be isolated. This would then result in a phone call to the student, ordering them to self-quarantine once again. At the time, there were merely three staff members working daily in The Student Health Center, and they suddenly had a massive responsibility.
Owens explained the difference in today’s procedures, “Now, thank goodness, we provide the education, and that is it.” She continued, “It took three years for that to happen.”
The Student Health Center is also currently looking for someone to fill a nurse practitioner position. This entails Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.