Dear Editor:
I am writing regarding the Opinion Page article of 4/4/14 written by Katherine C. Schooner which has many inaccuracies about the Student Health Service. To begin with, I was misquoted. I was asked why the 24/7 Student Health Service was closed, which occurred many years before my tenure started in 1994. My statements: “This is information I don’t have, as no records are available to me. I talked with a retired (staff member) who worked during that time, and her recollection is that keeping the Student Health Service open 24/7 was not cost effective.”
The present semester mandatory fee, approved by ASUW, is $105.23. This provides unlimited visits at no cost to all full time students, and to part time students who purchase the Optional Student Fee Package. This fee allows for the Student Health Service to provide service 44 hours per week during the academic year (of note, the CSU Hartshorn Health Service mentioned in the article is open 45.5 hours per week). Consider what the fee would need to be if the Student Health Service was open an additional 124 hours per week. The staffing would be less than during the daytime hours but still costly. As this was found not to be cost effective many years ago, it is the same in 2014. There are very few Student Health Services around the country that have 24/7 staffing.
The Student Health Service does not require medical insurance to be seen. Specifically, the Student Medical Insurance sponsored by the University of Wyoming is not required. The costs for additional services (lab, medications, medical supplies, injections, procedures) are kept to a minimum and are mostly well below the same costs in the community. Unfortunately, all STI tests are not free.
The Student Health Service is planning for additional services in the near future, such as nutrition counseling (in collaboration with the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences). Our Strategic Plan has the addition of a Sports Medicine Physician (in collaboration with the Athletic Department). The renovated Half Acre Recreation and Wellness will include a Wellness Center which will offer additional services.
Sincerely,
Joanne E. Steane MD
Director
Student Health Service
Dept 3068, 1000 E University Ave
Laramie, WY 82071
