Students at Arkansas Tech University have access to a new facility that is designed to help them stay healthy, in the classroom and on pace to reach their academic goals.
The new ATU Health and Wellness Center in suite 119 of the Doc Bryan Student Services Center is part of a $2.1 million renovation to the north wing of the building. Additional improvements include enhancements to the Doc Bryan Lecture Hall.
The renovation transformed the offices that were previously home to ATU’s financial aid and student accounts operations into a 6,350-square foot medical facility where students can gain treatment for physical and mental health issues.
The new ATU Health and Wellness Center will help accommodate growing demand for their services. During the 2016-17 academic year, the department had 7,684 appointments in the health center and 2,435 appointments in the counseling center.
“Our goal is to support the mission of the university and help students reach their academic and career goals, and we know that when they have an illness or something going on with their mental health, it can create a barrier for them,” said Kristy Davis, ATU associate dean for student wellness. “Everything we do here is to try to remove those barriers and help students be successful.”
By making the move from Dean Hall to Doc Bryan, the ATU Health and Wellness Center increased its examination rooms from three to eight. Davis said the new counseling offices are larger and more comfortable for students.
New to the ATU Health and Wellness Center as part of the new location are a dedicated lab space for drawing blood and providing immunizations, a biofeedback lab where students can learn and practice stress management techniques and private offices for each nurse practitioner.
“Students are very excited and they feel very comfortable here,” said Davis. “We’ve received nothing but positive feedback.”
The Arkansas Tech Health and Wellness Center is funded by a health and wellness fee that students on the Russellville campus pay each semester. Aside from select immunizations and certain lab tests, ATU students from the Russellville campus may utilize the health center as much as needed at no additional charge.
The staff includes two advanced practice registered nurses, two registered nurses and four full-time counselors.
“We hope that we will be more visible to students,” said Davis. “Our numbers show that we stay very busy and have increased steadily over the years, even in our old space. We’re already seeing that we are more visible here in Doc Bryan. It’s easier to find us, it’s easier to give directions and students are already in this building for so many other reasons. We’d love to do more wellness education and see students before they become ill or their mental health deteriorates.”
