It’s 4:50 p.m. I am just about to hit my fifth hour at Ohio University’s Campus Care.
When I woke up feeling sick, I called Hudson Health Center trying to schedule an appointment. They were all booked for the day. If only I had planned my sickness a few days ago!
About a half hour after my arrival time, I saw a nurse’s assistant to have my vitals checked. I was weighed, I described my symptoms, my temperature was taken and a strep test was done.
I was told I have a fever, my tonsils were alarmingly big and my oxygen was low, but it eventually moved to a normal level.
After about two hours in the waiting room, I talked to the nurses to see how much longer I have. They informed me that they see those with appointments as they arrive, pushing walk-ins further down the list. They gave me an hour estimate.
Currently, there are about 12 people in the waiting room with me. I see those with those sacred appointments being seen quickly as I — a lowly, peasant walk-in — wait.
There are two people I know for sure are also walk-ins. They arrived before me and have yet to be seen. I could have literally driven home to Cincinnati (three hours away) and been seen by my doctor more quickly than coming to Campus Care.
My story is not new. There have been countless students in the same situation. In February of 2009, there was a Post editorial about the “horrors of Hudson.”
In November of 2010, another Post article outlined the improvements Hudson has and continues to make. The article quotes Tonya Burdette, Campus Care director, as saying, “Our wait times have dramatically decreased ... being a student on campus you have classes, you have obligations — you can’t sit here for three hours.”
Yet almost a year later, students are sitting in the same facility and waiting upwards of four hours.
On Aug. 10, an article published by the OU College of Medicine’s Office of Communication laid out remodeling plans.
“Campus Care will enhance access to medical services through two distinct programs: Campus Quick Care and Campus Primary Care. Campus Quick Care, to be located on the first floor of Hudson, will be a walk-in clinic where students can be evaluated and treated quickly and conveniently. Campus Primary Care will be housed on the second floor.”
“Remodeling is expected to take place over the next year.” Comforting.
What are students supposed to do until these renovations are complete?
Sit back patiently and wait for hours on end to be seen?
Schedule appointments every day just in case sickness hits unexpectedly?
I know there are many other health care facilities in Athens, but for some, Campus Care is the only option that is viable.
Campus Care’s official vision is that they “will be the first choice in health care for the campus community.”
Campus Care deals with students’ health — their lives. Hearing that Baker University Center’s lounge renovations will take place during the next year is one thing — this is a whole other story.
Waiting more than four hours to be seen by a doctor is unacceptable.
I refuse to wait quietly anymore.
Molly Nocheck is a junior studying broadcast journalism.
