The main entrance of the Student Health Services opens up to
the lobby where, to the right, there is receptionist counter where students
check in for urgent care and pre-scheduled appointments. To the left there is a
cashier and pharmacy. Between them lies a maze of chairs, magazines and
something resembling a check-in line. There are signs that point to conference
rooms, optometry services, insurance, first aid and an LED sign listing off
announcements and upcoming events for the Health Education Program.
Although there are no publicly posted instructions on where
to start, the first step after entering
Student Health is to fill out a blue information sheet located next to
the receptionist desk. After filling out the information, the forms are to be
put in a box at the front of the desk so a receptionist can direct the patient
to the right place.
“I don’t know how many times a day that front desk
receptionist has to listen to some poor, sick student’s sob story, just to
point him straight to the box of blue papers,” Thurgood Marshall College junior
Harn Chiu said.
Created in 1965, the
has provided health services, maintained low prices and provided immunizations
for the past 43 years. In an effort to accommodate a ever-growing student
population, an extension to the main building was added a year and a half ago.
Although primary health care services are free for all
registered UCSD students, many additional services are free for students who
use the Student Health Insurance Plan, which provides coverage for
undergraduates for $283 per quarter. Costs for urgent care are $10 for those
with S.H.I.P. and $20 for those without — cheaper than health-care costs at
many other UC and private colleges.
“I go to urgent care when I need medicine,”
“I don’t have student health insurance, but the copay is cheaper than my
insurance, and it’s much more convenient.”
In order to keep costs down and balance low funding, Student
Health closes its doors at
Monday through Friday and stays closed on weekends.
“We do hear about issues like why we don’t stay open on
Saturdays or provide after-hours care,” said Director of Health Education
Debbie Pino-Saballet. “Students have to understand that for after-hours care,
it’s not a matter of having a couple of staff members here. We would have to
have x-ray, lab and really a full-service clinic still operating after hours.
We would have to give up something else unless we had more funding.”
Funding for Student Health
is partially supported by student registration fees, which Student
Affairs divides among many different student service departments.
The other portion of the funding comes from service fees
within Student Health itself, based on whether or not the student has S.H.I.P.
Urgent-care fees, appointment copays, pharmacy prescriptions, labs and x-rays
all contribute to funding.
Some students lament Student Health’s delays: Online
appointments contain a prewarning that the waits for scheduled consultations
can still be long during peak hours. Waits for urgent-care visits can stretch
several hours; however, the wait system is set up like many major hospitals and
private doctors, according to Jill Ballard, director of nursing.
“Waiting times are just the same [as other hospitals] if not
better,” Ballard said. “The students here are busy, and having to wait is a
nuisance to them, but if they go out to other clinics and urgent care, they
have to wait three or four hours if not more.”
According to Administrative Director of Student Health Lisa
Russon, students experiencing college health care are unfamiliar with its
bureaucracy.
“Students often have this as their first experience with
health care, and for those of us who are a little more seasoned in dealing with
health care in the outside world, we know the reallity of how that works,”
Russon said. “There are a lot of issues that that brings about.”
Student Health has a process for dealing with student
complaints and suggestions. Along with an e-mail suggestion box located on the
Student Health Web site, there are four comment boxes located throughout the
health center, attached with comment slips so patients can note problems with
service and suggestions. Student Health also administers random patient
satisfaction surveys throughout the year. These records are reviewed weekly and
discussed with staff when it is deemed necessary by the administration.
“I definitely welcome feedback,” Ballard said. “And when
it’s specific, it’s helpful. If people have had uncomfortable situations then I
would really like to sit down and talk with them. Then I can share that with
staff and we can make things better. Anything that can be substantiated, or if
a pattern developed over time, will result in staff being counseled over those
issues.”
Student Health is particularly responsive to specific
comments.
“When we get feedback from the comment slips those are
reviewed and then looked at if we need to change something, and if the student
leaves their name and number then they are always contacted,” said Ballard.
Another source of feedback for administrators are Student
Health Advocates, 50 students chosen each Winter Quarter to work as part of the
Health Education Program, teaching other students about health as well as
working with nurses and doctors to further their education.
“Almost every hour we have a different Student Health
Advocate work in the clinic,” Ballard said. “So they give us constant feedback
if they see something that they think could be made to work differently. Once
they are part of the staff, and see how things work from a staff member’s
perspective, they have a better understanding and are very good about
explaining it to other students as well — that everyone is trying their best.”
Still, according to both students and administrators,
mistakes can be made. With such a large student population and only eight
physicians, five registered nurses, five nurse practitioners and six part-time
staff, it is easy to lose track of your patients.
“Sometimes I feel the doctors and nurses aren’t careful to
be sure my diagnosis is what they think it is,” Widner said. “I feel like they
don’t ever check any other possibilities. I had an experience where my chart
was incomplete. I returned several times for the same problem, but it wasn’t
until the fourth time that the doctor looked more closely at my chart and
started to figure out the real problem. They keep good records for the most
part. I think it takes them a while to update them.”
But even with the frustrating visits, some students find comfort
in the convenience of having an on-campus health provider.
“I like the people there much more than my family doctor who
treats me like I don’t understand anything,” Widner said. “The staff is always
very friendly and nice. The doctors
treat me like an intelligent person and respect my needs.”
Student opinions of the health center vary. Some, like
Widner, accept its faults, and make good use of the convenient location and
cheap prices. Others only hope for good health and vow not to go back unless
absolutely necessary.
“If I can walk into Student Health myself, then I wouldn’t
go to Student Health,” Jeong said. “I had to be carried in one time — that’s
when they took me seriously.”
The contrasting opinions can all be attributed to
unrealistic expectations, according to Ballard.
“Sometimes it’s a matter of misunderstanding,” she said.
“There are some expectations on our patients’ part that just don’t match
reality. Our intentions are always to provide good care and to make people feel
welcome and safe, and hopefully we get that message across.”
