The Mississippi State University Longest Student Health Center boasts new doctors, a new facility, a new pharmacy and a new Web site this semester after last year’s long and often obstructing construction.
“We’re back to full staff now,” Stanthia Oakley, medical office Health Center employee, said.
New to the Health Center are Dr. Richard Holmes, who returned to MSU, his alma mater, at the end of last year, and Dr. Phillip Pearson, who specializes in osteopathy. The center also employs lab and x-ray technicians.
Dr. Robert Collins, director of the health center said the renovated facility is now better equipped to handle the 45,000 to 50,000 patients it sees each year.
He noted such additions as the new X-ray room and waiting areas, as well as improvements to help make the center more accessible to disabled patients such as a new elevator and handicapped-accessible restrooms.
Collins also said that the lights and tile in the building had been replaced, and the building now meets fire-code standards.
William Broyles, assistant to the vice president of student affairs, said the facility saw about a 50 percent increase in exam space when the pharmacy moved to the front of the building. He said he hopes more students will take advantage of the opportunities the center provides.
“We’re here to take care of students,” Broyles said. “Not all students realize that free health care is available to them,” he explained.
The center has also made some changes in the way records are handled.
“In July, [we] stopped using paper charts and moved to all-computer records,” said Oakley.”
Broyles explained that all records are archived on data compact disks.
Collins said the center is very careful to respect privacy laws when dealing with students’ medical records. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act mandates the privacy policy that Collins said was already in place.
“We’ve always been confidential,” Collins. “Everybody who comes in gets a privacy statement acknowledging they’ve been informed of privacy policy.”
Broyles said that all staff members sign a privacy agreement, and all patient information is available to doctors on a need to know basis.
A survey completed in December showed that 70 percent of patients favored the appointment system at the Health Center, said Collins. So, despite the many changes, the center will remain on an appointment basis.
“The appointment schedule is set up to where we try to do same-day appointments,” Collins said. “The appointment system allows better use of time as well as efficient use of our clinicians.””
To make an appointment with the Health Center, call 325-7539. The official grand opening of the new facility will be on Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. Contact the Health Center for more information.
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