At the beginning of every semester students shell out hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars in tuition and fees. This money not only pays for units, it subsidizes many programs on campus for students, not the least of which is low-cost basic health care.

-Dirk Ruthrauff, associate director of the Student Health Center, said the most common illnesses they see during the start of the semester are upper respiratory problems.

-“It can cover a lot (from) colds (to) sinus issues,” Ruthrauff said, adding that they always see these types of illnesses during the start of the spring semester, including strep throat and sinus infections.

-The SHC also helps students with sexually transmitted diseases and offers testing for some of the more common ones, like Chlamydia.

-“It’s pretty important that people can get tested for it,” said Ruthrauff.

-After funding from a California Endowment grant ran out in 2002, the SHC began charging $9.70 for a Chlamydia tests, which involves submitting a urine sample.

-A student who wants to meet with a nurse or doctor can do so at no charge. Every student has $38 added to their tuition fees to be able to use the SHC, and has the option to buy an augmented health plan for an additional $20. The augmented health plan entitles students to receive extra services, including three 15-minute therapeutic massages, flu vaccinations, physicals, free Chlamydia testing, optometry examinations and other services, according to the SHC Web site.

-The SHAC is on a mission to find out students’ attitudes towards the SHC. So far, they have surveyed 100 students.

-“The purpose of the survey is basically to find out who knows about the health center, how they found out about it, how they use the health center or why they don’t use the health center,” said Fallon Hookailo, a senior majoring in pre-physical therapy and the SHAC chairperson.

-They started interviewing students around the end of October and have a goal to survey 1,000 students or more, she said.

-Hooakailo said that they asked about how people are finding out about the SHC and found that it’s mostly from walk-ins, word of mouth or fliers that are distributed during orientation.

-“About 80 percent of the people (surveyed) know about the SHC,” said Hooakailo.

-Of those surveyed, most said they used the SHC for physicals, and 70 percent rated the services they received a four or five out of five.

-One of the newest programs at the SHC is the Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment. It’s a program that gives low-income students access to things like free birth control and STD testing.”It’s a real big change,” Ruthrauff said. “We are here and (students are) eligible for services here.”

-The SHC is equipped with a pharmacy, a lab, physicians, nurses, a health education department and psychological services.

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