Health centers provide on-site care, preventive seminars
by Gala Trimble
reporter

The health service centers on each campus do more than slap a Bandaid on a paper cut or offer aspirin for a headache.
Every student pays a student service fee that helps fund the many services offered by the four centers. Perhaps, the most visible services are the fall and spring health fairs.
Twice a year, each campus holds a blood drive or even a full health fair co-sponsored by the health center and student activities. The fairs are open to students and faculty, their families and the community around each campus. Harris Occupational Health Services provides personnel to administer inoculations and to test for high blood sugar, high cholesterol or AIDS.
NW and South campuses have already had health fairs and/or blood drives this semester.
“Our Springfest at NE this semester will also include health and job fairs,” Paula Vastine said. Vastine wears the hat of director of student activities on NE, runs career and employment services, but also has responsibility for the health service center.
On South Campus, health services coordinator Flo Stanton said she is planning spring activities to include a health fair and career fair. Stanton, along with coordinators at other campuses, is also an integral part of the Women in New Roles program, presenting a series of health-related lectures for participants in this systemwide program.
Stanton said she spends time working with students and student groups in the interest of increasing both physical and mental health awareness.
At this time, SE Campus will probably forgo its health fair this semester because of staffing, according to Veronica Warrior, SE coordinator of health services.
Opportunities vary from campus to campus, but students can visit any location to access the programs and information provided.
For that fee, TCC students can also receive first aid for injury or sudden illness, over-the-counter medications for common maladies, health-related education, referral and counseling by a registered nurse, blood pressure and weight monitoring.
In addition, the fee provides temporary handicap parking permits, a place to rest and health information resources, including Internet access, journals, books and audio/video tapes.
“I spend a lot of time in one-on-one counseling with students who are pregnant, those who have concerns about sexually transmitted diseases, even Hepatitis C,” Warrior said.
Warrior also offers confidential health counseling to faculty members.
Doris Donner, an on-call nurse for NE Campus, said she has cleaned bloody knees, pulled glass out of a student’s hand after a fall and handled a wide variety of other mishaps, large and small.
“For more serious injuries, we call 911 or refer the patient to a local emergency room for further treatment,” she said.
Since the center is open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located in the Student Center on NE, students can almost always find help there when classes are in session.
Vastine said students should stop by the center any time they are not feeling well or have questions related to health, nutrition, depression or any problem. Over-the-counter drugs are available to alleviate headaches, allergies, stomach upsets and other mild ailments. Nurses will refer student or faculty clients to local physicians for additional treatment if necessary.
“Services are basically the same on all campuses although the South Campus health services center is currently closed evenings because we lack nursing staff,” Stanton said.
The nursing staff rotates from campus to campus. Some have set hours; all spend some time on call for various centers on different evenings.
Warrior said although she is still involved with hands-on nursing, the nursing staff is great and helps cover the office during the day and in the evening.
However, her time is also filled with her work as a sponsor for Future Professionals in Science and Medicine, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Asian Students Organization and Black Legacy Society.
Evette Brazzile on NW, Stanton on South, Vastine on NE and Warrior on SE, as well as the nursing staff and office staff take responsibility for increasing health awareness throughout the district and tending to campus injuries.