When Student Government voted to recommend a $1 increase on the student health fee a couple weeks ago, director of Student Achievement Diane McKinstry was surprised.
Though increasing the health fee had always been McKinstry’s plan, she did not expect SG to recommend such a significant increase so soon.
For SG, the steep increase was a gesture showing its commitment to student health.
McKinstry said that the plan had been to raise the health fee to $6 per credit hour over the course of a three-year span beginning this year. The $1 increase to $4.90 per credit hour is helping to get to $6 a little quicker.
Knowing the increase would have to be gradual, McKinstry requested a raise of just 60 cents when approached by student body president Mark Lombardi-Nelson. SG increased this figure in an emergency general assembly meeting on Feb. 4.
According to McKinstry, increasing the health fee to $6 will help secure a full staff and more services when USF St. Petersburg’s contract runs out with its current provider, Student Health Services through USF Health.
Currently, Student Health Services for USF Tampa provides USFSP with a full-time staffer to manage the front desk. Specialists from Tampa also make regular trips to St. Petersburg for appointments.
The Wellness Center is staffed by one nurse practitioner and one practical nurse. The two work in tandem to care for students. More serious health concerns are passed onto local hospitals or specialists at USF Tampa, which has a much larger facility.
McKinstry said that the fee increase would improve on all that. When the Wellness Center was built it was designed to accommodate two nurse practitioners and two practical nurses. Each team could use one of the four examination rooms while the others were cleaned.
This is will be important to have, McKinstry said, explaining that USFSP’s growing student body and increasing resident population will increase the demand for health services.
When the Wellness Center opened numbers were low because of the continuing construction on the Student Life Center, but since then the number of appointments and walk-ins has quadrupled, McKinstry said. In any given week, the Wellness Center might see between 45 and 55 students.
The money from the health fee will also help the Wellness Center employ a health educator who has already reached out to students with presentations in conjunction with student organizations.
According to McKinstry, helping students adjust to college life and the health concerns they may face is part of what the Wellness Center does. Prevention and education are part of keeping a school community healthy.
Mike Hopey is managing editor at the Crow’s Nest. He can be reached at managingeditor@crowsneststpete.com.
