Student Health Center Keeping Leos Healthy

The appearance of vibrant fall foliage and the return of students signals more than the start of the school year for Cindy Denne.

It means flu season is imminent.

And the director of the University of La Verne’s Student Health Services and Disabled Student Services hopes to increase awareness of the importance of getting vaccinated.

“It’s just one of those viral infections that will keep you out of the classroom and out of all the fun activities you’re doing because it can last several days,” Denne said. “It’s important that students take care of themselves.”

Flu vaccinations are one of many free services available to traditional undergraduate and graduate international students through the University’s Student Health Center.

The department has stepped up its efforts to protect students from the flu this year by setting up clinics at Davenport Hall, in addition to offering shots at the center. Denne is also discussing holding clinics at residence halls.

Health Center staff members stay busy with a variety of student needs, serving about 400 students, not including walk-ins, during appointments every month.

“They’re mostly healthy and they have one or two problems that are easy to treat,” said Dr. Heather Helming, D.O., one of several doctors who work at the health center.

Students with more complex medical issues receive referrals to area physicians who Denne describes as being “at the top of their game.”

“We’re referring these students to people I would refer my family to,” she said.

While most of the issues La Verne’s nurses encounter are minor, they have had to deal with high-profile issues in the past. Staff members worked successfully to stop the spread of infectious disease among the campus population when a student living in a residence hall became ill with bacterial meningitis in 2005.

Denne recalls getting a phone call late at night after the student was hospitalized. She quickly obtained hundreds of doses of antibiotics, made them available to students and educated them about the illness. The student suffering from the infection recovered and no other students were affected.

“It was one of those things that just clicked,” Denne said. “Everyone just stepped up to the plate and did the right things in a timely fashion.”

Traditional undergraduate and graduate international students are automatically enrolled in La Verne’s health insurance program, giving them free access to health care at the Student Health Center on the corner of E and Second streets.

The health center’s medical staff provides all the services that a family doctor can give such as electrocardiograms, blood tests, diagnoses and treatment. There are no fees or co-pays involved, unless a student receives treatment from an outside medical provider.

Staff provide tuberculosis testing, a requirement for students to participate in community service.

Women can receive gynecology services, such as pap smears, at the health center. They have access to free birth control. Free condoms are available to male and female students.

Staff members are also helping with University research.

Nurses have been doing blood draws for Sarah Dunn, assistant kinesiology professor, who is conducting a freshman weight gain study with the help of seniors. Dunn previously sent freshmen to Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation in Pomona for blood draws, but wanted a site closer to campus for student convenience. The Student Health Center stepped up to assist.

“Without them helping us, we wouldn’t have been able to do this, so we are thankful for their support,” Dunn said.

Denne has seen her staff increase from two to three full-time nurses – including herself, in the last year. That does not include physicians and physician assistants provided through a contract with the Premier Family Medical Group. She would like to expand daily appointment availability times beyond the 4 hours currently offered, but that will depend on future funding.

She is also researching the possibility of partnering with the developing physician assistant program at La Verne. It would give faculty the opportunity to bring their skillset to the health center.

Meanwhile, Denne says she hopes students who use the health center learn how to take better care of themselves and learn more about the health care system in the process.

“I hope they walk away with a better sense of health and wellness and how to access it,” she said.