Medical-care options readily available
Student Health Services offers students unlimited visits each semester. It vaccinates students with seasonal flu shots, as well as for periodic problems, such as H1N1. Most medications and lab tests are provided at no cost. However, sometimes GCSU nurse practitioners are not available, or can’t offer specialized treatment.
Clinic hours are Mondays through Fridays from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, but as available as the clinic is during the week, they leave students abandoned on weekends.
Alice Loper, the Student Health Services director, recognizes this issue but struggles to offer a solution.
“If the student health clinic offered expanded hours, the health fee would have to be increased significantly to cover costs of operation,” Loper said. “It is sad but true that health care is expensive.”
Loper suggests local Milledgeville resources for students on weekends when the Student Health Services clinic is closed. Local resources recommended include: Compassionate Care Clinic, Convenient Care MD Clinic and Oconee Regional Medical Center’s emergency room.
Molly Thomas, with administrative services at ORMC, believes in the medical staff of the hospital and said that most medical specialty treatments are represented.
“The Oconee Regional E.R. does not have any connection with student funding for Health Services at GCSU, though we never turn anyone away from the emergency department, whether they can pay or not,” Thomas said.
However, some students have conflicting opinions on the acceptance of patients at the Oconee Regional E.R. Babbs Bowden, sophomore pre-nursing major, said her roommate was turned away for not having her insurance card with her.
“With my roommate I had to drive her to her dad so he could take her to get treament in Gwinnett,” Bodwen said. “She didn’t have her insurance card and the hospital is really expensive.”
If these problems arise there are still two other options.
Convenient Care MD Clinic, affiliated with ORMC, provides after-hours care for non-emergency illnesses. The office is located at 111 Fieldstone Drive, Ste. 114 just off of U.S. 441 behind Chick-fil-A. The clinic operates from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Likewise, Loper also suggests Compassionate Care Clinic, which is run out of Sinclair Baptist Church, is located at 102 Airport Road NE and can “see folks for a small fee.”
When special medical diagnoses or situations arise, Student Health Services refers students locally for treatment. This can cause a problem for some students since this treatment is no longer covered under the student health fee umbrella.
“The major issue is whether or not the student is insured,” Loper said. “If there is no insurance, or if their insurance is not accepted in this area, there are more problems.”
If insurance is accepted, students can receive treatment on their own schedule. If their coverage is not accepted, some students opt to go home. However, if they are uninsured, the student has few options, two previously mentioned – ORMC and Compassionate Care Clinic.
Many local doctors look to support Student Health Services and are open to referrals. Dr. Mark L. Mudano from Southern Orthopedics volunteered with Student Health Services from 2005 to 2006, speaks to nursing classes occasionally, and treats GCSU employees.
“Students from GCSU are basically our ‘ideal’ patients,” Mudano said. “I am always available for students who have an acute injury, even things like simple laceration repairs we can do in my office.”
Overall, outside of Student Health Services students do have a medical community in Milledgeville willing to support them in any further medical assistance.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Dec 4 2009. Filed under Health & Science.
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