Monday, December 7, 1998

Improvements mean better service

By Matthew L. Green

On-Line Forty-Niner

Students used to have to trek to the outskirts of campus to receive immunizations from Student Health Services, but the center now may be coming to them.

Starting sometime in spring 1999, the service will travel on certain days to places such as the University Library or residence halls to provide services such as immunizations to make more students aware of the services the center provides, said Renee A. Twigg, director of the center.

"Students are surprised [the center's services are free when they come in]," Twigg said.

The student health fee, $35, is the lowest in the California State University system because of the large student population at Cal State Long Beach, Twigg said.

The CSULB population is about 28,600 as of August, second to San Diego State, which has about 29,400 students, according to a report from the CSULB administration.

"One visit and you've recouped your fee," Twigg said.

Many students are also surprised that the doctors at the center are medical-board certified, Twigg said.

The center has six full-time doctors, a radiologist, a dermatologist, two nurse practitioners and a part-time gynecologist and psychiatrist.

To keep current on new medical advances, the center's staff participates in monthly teleconferences and attends a training conference to review and expand its knowledge at least once a year, Twigg said.

In other advances, the center is putting students' medical files on computers, so the staff has learned how to use computers, Twigg said.

"Six months ago some of them [staff] didn't even know how to log on," Twigg said.

But the computers may also help the students.

In spring, students will be able to obtain health information from the center's web site, such as on the effectiveness of alternative medicine vs. that of traditional treatments, so students will be more informed about what they put in their bodies.

The center provides students services on topics such as nutrition, the effects of alcohol, stress reduction and disease prevention.

But it also is looking into offering services such as massage therapy and alternative-medicine prescription, Twigg said.

The center wants to know what services students use and want, so it can add services not offered now, Twigg said.

The center is trying to get students in and out of the center as fast as possible for the more simple services, such as prescription refills and regular examinations, Twigg said.

The center will track what time students come in the center and what time they receive treatment to ensure students are not waiting too long for treatment.

"We want to make students more assertive," Twigg said.

The most common problems students come to the center with are colds, the flu and stomach aches.

The center serves 250 people a day, about 41,000 during the 1996-97 academic year, Twigg said. And it served about 39,000 to 41,000 each year between the 1993-97 academic years.