While thinking about school health may conjure up images of a school nurse, the services offered by the UA’s Campus Health go far beyond band-aids and flu shots.
Campus Health Service, located in the Highland Commons building next to the Sixth Street Parking Garage, provides medical services ranging from immunization shots and nutrition advice to psychiatric treatment and acupuncture. All its services are open to UA faculty, staff members and any student currently taking one or more classes. Students not taking classes during the summer can still access Campus Health by paying a $50 eligibility fee.
“”The services we offer are very broad,”” said Kris Kreutz, director of administrative services at Campus Health. “”I’d say the university has one of the best campus health services in the country.””
The Campus Health staff consists of about 110 full-time employees, as well as some part-time employees and a rotating orthopedic surgeon. The services are divided into three broad categories: Medical Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Health Promotion and Preventative Services.
“”Annually, our Medical Services get about 60,000 patient visits per year,”” Kreutz said. “”We have the most activity during the winter months from early October through late March, but we stay busy year-round.””
One aspect of the Medical Services branch is the X-ray center, which takes more than 2,800 student and staff X-rays each year.
Campus Health also features a full-service pharmacy that conducts upwards of 21,000 over-the-counter sales annually.
The Counseling and Psychological Services branch sees more than 11,000 patient visits per year, and their activities range from personal counseling to holding smoking cessation seminars.
“”We have several licensed professional counselors that handle a wide range of issues for students and staff,”” Kreutz said.
The last branch, Health Promotion and Prevention Services, is geared toward getting information to the campus body and providing education on a range of health issues such as alcohol, drugs, nutrition and sexual activity.
“”Health Promotion and Prevention is focused in the lifestyle aspect of Campus Health,”” Kreutz said. “”They handle behavioral and environmental issues.””
In addition to the three main branches, Campus Health also provides other unique services, such as an insurance office that can assist students with setting up insurance or making claims. They also have a medical records staff to help patients search for medical information.
Kreutz said students looking for health information should look online at Campus Health’s Web site or call in to their main phone line. The staff accepts walk-ins, although making an appointment is preferred.
Campus Health operates with a reduced staff during the summer, with several employees working on an academic year calendar. The full line of services offered, however, remains the same regardless of the time of year.
“”We’re still open,”” Kreutz said. “”More and more students are doing summer school these days, and that means more visits for us.””