Students at Oregon State University can access health facilities specifically tailored for the needs of a university community just by virtue of enrolling. 

OSU Student Health Services works to provide affordable care for students through multiple locations across campus. The primary Student Health Center is located in Plageman and provides the broadest range of services. The location in Tebeau Hall offers same-day appointments and SHS@Dixon is available for sports medicine and integrative therapies like acupuncture, according to Gina Flak, the marketing and communication specialist for SHS.

“Students can be seen at Plageman for appointments with our clinical staff; they can also receive referral, lab or x-ray services or get answers about billing and insurance,” Flak said via email.

SHS programs and services are specifically structured to be convenient and accessible for college students, and one of the main aspects of this is affordability. Access to care at treatment through SHS facilities, as well as prevention and wellness services, are free of cost due to student fee funding, said Jenny Haubenreiser, the executive director of SHS.

Certain services such as lab work and x-rays are not covered by student fees, according to Haubenreiser. However, these services are more affordable through SHS than through private providers and students’ insurance should cover many of these costs. Assistance with insurance and billing is also available through SHS, Haubenreiser added.

“Another essential component of SHS is the wellness and prevention programs and services, which include a robust peer education program and evidence-based sexual violence and substance misuse prevention,” Haubenreiser said via email. 

Incoming students may be especially at-risk of becoming sick, according to Dr. Jeff Mull, the SHS medical director. Factors related to stress from moving to a new environment and living in group housing may increase risk of sickness for new students, Mull said. 

“Once we are exposed to a given virus we usually develop immunity,” Mull said in an email. “Since the viruses circulating in one area may be different than another it is not unusual to get more viral infections when moving to a new city.”

In addition to the SHC, Plageman houses the OSU pharmacy and the Survivor Advocacy and Resource Center, according to Flak. The goal of SARC is to provide support for survivors of sexual assault. Plageman also houses the immunization compliance office and the Oregon Contraceptive Care program. 

The clinic in Tebeau Hall clinic is purposed to provide care to students with minor conditions and ailments, like a cough, sore throat or fever. SHS@Dixon provides treatment for physical injury through a variety of therapies and offers consultation with a nutrition consultations, according to Flak.

SHS also takes steps to support students dealing with addiction or problems related to substance use through the resources and safe social setting of the Collegiate Recovery Community, according to Flak.

“The CRC gives students the opportunity to enjoy a typical college social life, with additional support, in a recovery-first environment,” Flak said. 

The CRC recently began providing recovery-oriented housing in Dixon Lodge in conjunction with UHDS. They hold free coffee hours multiple times a week for faculty, staff, students and any members of the Corvallis community interested in getting to know them, according to Flak. Scheduled free coffee hours are posted on the CRC webpage at studenthealth.oregonstate.edu/recovery.

“SHS approaches health and well-being from a whole student approach—providing comprehensive health and wellness service, while also working to build skills for lifelong health and well-being,” Haubenreiser said in an email. “We seek to know and support the students we serve while they are at OSU.”