Students express health center complaints
by Gina Gotthilf
News | 3/18/08
Posted online at 4:39 AM EST on 3/18/08
/ Last updated at 11:09 AM EST on 3/18/08
Students voiced their concerns about the Health Center, including misdiagnosis, privacy issues and confusion about insurance coverage at last Monday night's forum in the Shapiro Campus Center.
Eleven people attended the informal forum, during which members of the Health Center Advisory Committee, which planned the event, moderated the discussion and encouraged the participants to share both negative and positive experiences they have had at the Health Center. Participants were also urged to offer suggestions for health services that are not currently offered on campus.
The chairwoman of the committee, Jessica Blumberg '09, said that many students don't know much about their insurance plans and what they cover, and that perhaps the health center should actively provide more information.
Noah Kaplan '09 opened the discussion: "I didn't get an insurance card on time. … I'm still having problems with that."
More students followed by relating other negative experiences. The participants agreed that misdiagnosis and lack of attention are ongoing problems at the health center.
Laura Cohen '09 said she was proscribed a certain type of antibiotics despite a big sticker on her file noting that she is allergic to that family of antibiotics. . "Luckily, I hadn't taken it yet," she said.
"I've been misdiagnosed twice," Hillary Mishan '09 said. "First I was told I had the flu when I actually had bronchitis, and then I got told I had the flu but actually turned out to have mono[nucleosis]."
Not everyone, however, was there to criticize. Rebecca Wilkof '09 said that upon mentioning in passing that she had never had chicken pox, a nurse gave her a shot on the spot.
But most students present at the forum seemed to have had opposite experiences from Wilkof. "It would be nice to see people smiling when you go to the doctor, welcoming you, instead of making you feel like you are a burden to them." Justin Zullo '09 said.
Eleven people attended the informal forum, during which members of the Health Center Advisory Committee, which planned the event, moderated the discussion and encouraged the participants to share both negative and positive experiences they have had at the Health Center. Participants were also urged to offer suggestions for health services that are not currently offered on campus.
The chairwoman of the committee, Jessica Blumberg '09, said that many students don't know much about their insurance plans and what they cover, and that perhaps the health center should actively provide more information.
Noah Kaplan '09 opened the discussion: "I didn't get an insurance card on time. … I'm still having problems with that."
More students followed by relating other negative experiences. The participants agreed that misdiagnosis and lack of attention are ongoing problems at the health center.
Laura Cohen '09 said she was proscribed a certain type of antibiotics despite a big sticker on her file noting that she is allergic to that family of antibiotics. . "Luckily, I hadn't taken it yet," she said.
"I've been misdiagnosed twice," Hillary Mishan '09 said. "First I was told I had the flu when I actually had bronchitis, and then I got told I had the flu but actually turned out to have mono[nucleosis]."
Not everyone, however, was there to criticize. Rebecca Wilkof '09 said that upon mentioning in passing that she had never had chicken pox, a nurse gave her a shot on the spot.
But most students present at the forum seemed to have had opposite experiences from Wilkof. "It would be nice to see people smiling when you go to the doctor, welcoming you, instead of making you feel like you are a burden to them." Justin Zullo '09 said.
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