Truman State University - Echo Yearbook (Kirksville, MO)

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oouow t'| PREVENTIVE MEDICINE in the form of an allergy shot Is administered to senior Julie Jamison by Kathy Robbins. L.P.N. Jamison must receive a shot once a month. CAPSULE BY CAPSULE. Dr. Howard Hunt prepares a prescription. Hunt joined the Stu- dent Health Clinic staff in the spring of 1983. after the resignation of Dr. John Biggerstaff. OO Student Health Clinic L.O Student Life

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O M I N G PANTOMIMED STRUGGLE with a giant, bui ble Bulldog balloon catches th a jaM B N DRAG, freshman Dennis T C j • . Horn she I. freshman H BsTjunior Mark Bieber (top) and Freshman Tim Ray add humor to the game. Homecomin Student Life

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Td7avaaTh°ht Quality health care by SALLY TROUTMAN The student awakes, shutting off an in- truding alarm. Mouth like cotton, he swallows dryly as the cutting sensation in his throat causes his ears to ache. Slowly, he opens his eyes. To him. classes are the least of his worries. After dressing robotically, he staggeringly makes his way to the building less than a city block away. Once inside, the student finds an at- mosphere like no other on campus. Gazing around the room, he sees other students, some resembling the sickly image he saw in his mirror that morning. He signs in and pulls out two dollar bills that usually go for mid- day munchies. He takes a seat and dumbly begins to thumb through a magazine until his name is called. Relief is what he seeks, fast relief at a painless price. And he's only one of many. Some days find 50 to 60 students making their way to the Student Health Clinic housed in McKinney Center. After the resignation of Dr. John Big- gerstaff (who had worked at the clinic since 1952) at the end of the 1983 spring semester, the University began looking for a replace- ment to assume the director position. Dr. Howard Hunt, head of general practice at Kirksville Osteopathic Health Center, was selected as Biggerstaffs replacement. “They couldn't find someone immediately ... and we (KOHC) were right here available. Hunt said. The University con- tracted with KOHC and the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Under this ar- rangement. Dr. Hunt works as clinic director while still holding his post at KOHC. I think we (KCOM and the University) should share more things together, and this is a very good way to start.“ Hunt said. To insure professional health care. KCOM interns or University nursing students are not allowed to practice in the Student Health Clinic. The staff at the clinic consists of two registered nurses, one licensed practical nurse, a lab technician and Hunt. Recep- tionist positions are filled by work-study and institutional students. The staff here is just outstanding, Hunt said. Hunt said he anticipated no major policy changes in the operation of the clinic from previous years. However some students said they had noticed a difference in procedures whether they were planned or not. 'Last year you saw nurses, and sometimes that was it. junior Rick Kohler said. The doctor is more available. This year, you have to see a doctor, and there's always a doctor there, senior Janice Toedebusch said. Students go to the clinic for a variety of health problems, but Hunt said colds, sore throats and headaches are the most com- mon. A lot of people have allergies, too, he said. Senior Julie Jamison said she receives an allergy shot once a month. She said that because it is on a regular basis, the usual $2 charge is cut to $1. The Student Health Clinic also sets aside certain days and times for giving flu shots free to students and staff. Unlike some other state-supported col- leges in Missouri, the University is still able to offer an on-campus health care facility at a reasonable price to its students. A physical examination form, student identification card and $2 can buy the student an examination and prescribed medicine if needed. In past years, clinic procedures were ques- tioned. Even so, students rarely complained that the facility was costly, hard to get to or not needed. Senior Lisa Winger said she has had her doubts about the clinic's operation but feels that the clinic has improved. I think this new doctor is going to help it a lot. she said. I've got my confidence back.” Hunt said he has set some goals for himself and the clinic, two of which are to of- fer programs in preventive medicine and “to continue to provide high quality care to the students at a price they can afford. Perhaps Kohler best summed up the at- titude of most students who go to the clinic when he said, It’s like the SAB card; it's the best buy on campus for $10. It’s (the clinic) the best $2 investment on campus.” Now leaving the building with a sprightly step, the student builds up a genuine an- ticipation for his afternoon class. Maybe he has found that reassurance from profes- sionals and trust in their advice and care is the best medicine, A PHY8ICAL INVENTORY of a student is ex- amined by Judy Neuweg, R.N. Students must supply the clinic with a medical information form in order to use its services. THE LAST STOP of senior Julie Jamison's visit to the clinic Is the receptionist’s desk, where she pays the »2 office call fee as sophomore Julie Bair writes a receipt. Student Health Clinic 'TQ Student Life is