t some point or another, most every student at Elizabethtown College has dealt with illness. The Wellness Center, better known on the Etown campus as the “WELL,” is always available to assist students dealing with illness, in addition to maintaining their overall health and well-being. The WELL offers students self-care kits free of charge, and staff members are always present to answer questions and address any concerns a student might encounter. In addition, students may “learn their own numbers” by taking advantage of the BioMeasure or blood pressure monitor.
However, some students do not believe this is enough and would prefer what is offered at the Penn State Hershey Medical Group (PSHMG) just down the street. A trip to the Hershey Medical Center costs a student approximately $55, if covered by the College’s health care, to see a doctor or other medical professional. The $55 charge is merely for a consultation with a licensed professional; staff members do not have to prescribe anything in order to charge a patient for such a visit.
Director of Counseling & Student Wellness Dr. Kristin A. Sagun stated, “The overall changes and increases in the cost of health care in society today also impact what occurs on a college or university campus. The trend today for health services that are housed directly on campuses is for students to have to use insurance with co-pays just as our students are being asked to utilize insurance within our partnership at PSHMG-Elizabethtown. Having our services partnered with PSHMG allows for our students to have access to a wider variety of licensed medical providers within a comprehensive medical system. This is also the most cost-effective way for our students.”
Etown students shared different opinions about this method. First-year Jacqueline Foulke stated, “I think that the wellness center is more effective as it is because people can go for multiple needs, for free, and get the help they are seeking. If the wellness center charged, people with serious problems may not go because of the cost, which could end up hurting them. For people with needs that truly demand a doctor, they can go to the med center for that.” First-year Kate Glass agreed, affirming that, “I think that the Wellness Center is fine the way it is. If we had any professional, it might be more expensive for students to get the specific treatment they need. However, if a student is having a real emergency, then they would most likely go to the hospital anyways.”
Not all students share these favorable opinions and believe it is necessary to offer a PSHMG-style medical group on campus. First-year Lauren McQue offered an opposing argument, saying, “I think that we should have a center on campus with doctors and nurses on hand to help students. Students need a convenient place on campus for their health needs, plus the cost of tuition should enable us to have adequate medical care.”
Although many students would appreciate the care that possessing a medical group on campus would provide, they are unwilling to pay the extra money to be seen by professional nurses and doctors such a center on campus would be required to hire. Having a fee to be seen by one of these medical professionals might also deter a student from getting the assistance they need just to avoid another charge to their account. With the mounting rate of tuition, many students believe that it is the College’s responsibility to pay for these extra fees. Nonetheless, if additional fees were necessary to be able to provide a center on campus, most students interviewed agreed that for the present time, the WELL has adequate resources available that are sufficient to keep the students healthy. If there were ever a more serious illness, a student would probably take the extra time to find a friend and have the friend take them down the street to the professionals.
