A Guide to the new resources at Student Health Services
Since the school year started, I have been seeing the colorful signs and advertisements for Student Health Services around the Quad. Located on the ground floor of Woodland Hall next to the bookstore, Student Health Services is offering new resources that are helpful for all students.
This week I stopped by Student Health Services myself to see what free services they had available.
When I walked into the Student Health Services, I was greeted by Hayden Barns R.N., who runs the department. The room is covered with rainbow condoms, packets of lube, pads, and tampons. Informational pamphlets are on every shelf with content about sexual health. Student Health Services offers clinics and health collaborations, one of which is a monthly STI-Testing clinic, available through Allies for Health and Wellbeing. Students can simply show up at the location for the mobile testing and get in line for their STI test. As a student, I was pleased to hear that this is offered frequently on campus, because that means a clinic is always coming up. The next free mobile STI clinic is December 1st, from 11 AM - 2:30 PM. No registration is required.
New this year to Chatham, students can go to Student Health Services to receive a nurse visit, where a healthcare practitioner can recommend whether the student should manage their symptoms at home or follow up with a primary care provider, specialist, Urgent Care, or Emergency Department. This is a great way to get a quick assessment of your needs and symptoms in order to go to the right place. For someone who is from out of state like me, it can be helpful to have a resource pointing you in the right direction for medical care.
I learned through speaking with Nurse Barns that you can also take items from the Essential Needs Corner. The Essential Needs Corner has free sexual health items, menstrual health products, personal care items, and some donated food. While I had some minimal awareness of receiving medication from Student Health Services like Tums, Advil, and Tylenol, I wasn’t aware they offered free pregnancy tests and emergency contraceptives. This is a new resource on campus, and available to anyone in need.
Another helpful new resource offered by Student Health Services is monthly educational programming. New initiatives to promote sexual health, sex education, mental wellness and nutrition throughout the campus are happening once a month. This month’s programming is the MyPlate challenge. The MyPlate challenge is an opportunity to learn more about eating a balanced diet. Anyone can take the MyPlate challenge to commit to understanding what goes onto a nutritious plate. Programming like this will be happening each month to promote the health of students on Chatham’s campus.
Yet another new service this year is access to the Essential Needs Pantry. Students can pick up free non-perishable food items available two times a month with this new service! The pantry has items like peanut butter, jelly, canned vegetables and fruits, soup, spaghetti, and even almond milk. I worked with Nurse Barns to fill out paperwork and register for access to shop the pantry. My experience was quick, easy and friendly. I appreciated the discretion and time taken during my appointment. In addition to filling up a small box, I also had the opportunity to write down suggestions for other items I might want to see in the pantry. The paperwork took about 15 minutes, and the only requirement was my ID. I personally really liked how simple it was to complete, and the convenience that the pantry provides.
Nurse Barns explained that she wants more folks on campus to know about the Essential Needs Pantry because it is so far under-utilized by students. The Essential Needs Pantry is also connected to the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry located in Greenfield on Hazelwood Ave, which is close by and accessible by the PRT bus #64 Waterfront-Lawrenceville from Chatham’s campus. The Squirrel Hill food pantry is a much larger selection than the Essential Needs Pantry, with access to meat, eggs, and fresh produce. The paperwork gives students in need a chance to shop there in addition to what is available twice a month on campus. The Squirrel Hill food pantry also has access to kosher food, which can be applied for via your paperwork.
The additions made to Student Health Services this year give students more accessibility around their health on campus. I wasn’t personally aware of what Student Health Services had to offer in depth, but now that I know, I am looking forward to utilizing it more as a resource. I will also be letting others know what services they can receive to better their physical and sexual health on campus.
Student Health Services is located in Woodland Hall on Shadyside Campus. To learn more about how to receive the services in this piece, you can email SHS at studenthealth@chatham.edu.
Lirit Gilmore is a Creative Writing and Food Studies student. Lirit’s academic focus is centered in food writing and how it intersects with social location and identity. She is from the DMV and the Midwest, and enjoys baking in her free time. See all her work on Pulse@ChathamU here.