The University of Oregon’s Health Center and Counseling Center have been combined to create University Health Services, according to a UO announcement. The merger was effective on July 1.
The combination of the two centers stemmed from desires to create an umbrella service that enabled an easier student health experience, according to Deb Beck, the executive director of the University Health Services.
“The hope is that this organizational change would provide a seamless and comprehensive service for the students of the University of Oregon,” Beck said.
Calling it the “one-door model,” Beck said any point of entry into the new setup allows for students to be seamlessly matched with the service they need. Since physical and mental health are so interconnected, Beck said that this merger creates an easier and more effective health service for students.
“When students experience an emotional difficulty, oftentimes there’s a physical manifestation of that and vice versa,” Beck said. “So it was really important to us to have the ability to have a student come in and see a provider, be handed off in a warm handoff to get the entire wraparound support that that person may need for their care.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the large contributing factors in creating the University Health Services, according to Roger Thompson, the vice president of Student Services and Enrollment Management.
“Responding to and working to mitigate the challenges COVID presents was certainly one of the significant contributing factors to the creation of University Health Services,” Thompson said in an email to the Emerald. “Being in a position to offer comprehensive physical and mental health services under one umbrella organization as we face the challenges of a global pandemic was fundamental to the creation of University Health Services.”
The Health Center and Counseling Center are both currently open and available to students, according to the websites. The Health Center is available for walk-ins, but Beck said that students are encouraged to call to set up an appointment first. For any in-person appointments, strict COVID-19 guidelines are in place, including specified entrance and exit doors and isolated areas for sick students, Beck said.
Both the Counseling Center and Health Center will offer a hybrid of options for students, Beck said. Currently, the counseling center is mostly operating through teletherapy appointments, but options for a safe in-person counseling appointment should be available this fall, Beck said.
The merger does not involve any changes to the financial or business side of the services, she said. Beck said that the Health Center created the new setup to ensure the best experience for students.
“I’m excited about seeing how we can blend what we do in our own professional capacities and just making it a really strong service,” Beck said. “That’s what this is all about is just for the best experience that a student can have to meet all of their medical and mental health needs.”