Five months after the H1N1 virus overwhelmed the 1,800 square foot Health Center with sick students, the University of Tampa is expanding the facility to five times its size.
Officials announced Monday that the new Health Center would open by the end of the year.
The UT Health Center saw the need of its expansion early last fall as universities across the country braced for the H1N1 virus.
Students became frustrated and waits became longer as the facility took in a record number of students each week, but the need never met the demand.
The former Health Center which was 1,800 square feet will begin its transformational upgrade to 10,300 square feet on Friday, Feb. 5 at noon.
For the remainder of the semester, the Health Center will be moved to a modular facility on UT’s new property by the former Valencia Gardens restaurant.
The new facility will have a second floor, along with a larger waiting area, eight exam rooms for optimum patient privacy, staff offices, group counseling rooms and a pharmacy.
Acquired by the University in 1997, the old Health Center only had to accommodate about 2,800 students, but since the school now has a population of 6,300 along with a higher influx of student applicants each year, it has been decided that a new health center is needed.
“Student enrollment was half of what it is now, so the school needs this sort of upgrade,” said public information Director, Eric Cárdenas. “While the construction is going on, students will be able to begin going to the new temporary Health Center modular at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8.”
“We’re committed to provide top-level support for the wellness of all of our students, and this new facility will greatly help,” Dean of Students, Bob Ruday said in a UT press release.
“The new facility will allow our staff to provide health services more efficiently and effectively and will enhance student’s overall experience at UT. We’ll be able to see more patients, and they’ll have much more privacy.”
With the current Student Health Center seeing as many as 1,000 students a month for health and counseling services, an additional second floor and increase in the amount of patient exam rooms makes the most sense to meet the needs of students prone to illnesses, accidents or mental fatigue.
“Our health center now resembles a trailer and if I were visiting the campus for the first time I’d never guess it was even a health center.
It’s about time we get a new one; we deserve a new one,” said Justin Bitensky, a junior at UT.
UT’s nursing students will still work closely alongside the nurse practitioners, but along with constructional changes comes additional office changes.
“There will be nurse practitioners who work under the auspices of a supervising doctor. Plus, the Health Center staff will continue to be happy to refer anyone who prefers to see a physician to facilities off-campus,” said Bob Ruday. “Dr. George Northrup, the supervising psychiatrist, comes to campus regularly to assess counseling patients and still will.”
“I wish the new Health Center had started sooner,” says Emily Sarecky, a senior at UT.
“It just isn’t what a health care facility should be structured like and it’s understaffed.
I won’t get to see the new one in the fall, but at least they’re improving it for the remaining students.”