The new Delta College Health Center officially opened Aug. 26, giving uninsured and low-income Delta students and their children a way to access non-emergency medical services.
Located in the Locke Building Rooms 126 and 128, the center will provide vaccinations, physical exams, birth control, psychiatric help and an array of other services.
“We hope that this center allows for services to be given to students who are underinsured or who have no insurance,” said April Cox, the center manager.
Delta College has partnered with the local nonprofit Community Medical Centers to offer these services. This partnership began Sept. 1, 2020, when the school was offering free flu vaccinations to its students. The partnership was officially signed last year, as a five-year collaboration.
Students who are on Medicare, Medi-Cal, or similar government-based insurance plans will be accepted by the health center. Students who are uninsured will be billed based on their income, which will allow some students to have their services performed for free.
“Many students will overlook the center because they don’t think they will qualify,” said Veronica Ducusin, a student at Delta College. “But hopefully, people will realize that this is a great opportunity for students to get the help that they need.”
Aside from physical care, the health center is also offering various behavioral health services for students in need of mental support.
“We have psychiatrics that students can reach out to either through in-person appointments or by phone appointments,” said Cox. “We can also get students in contact with a warmline, which can provide confidential, non-emergency mental support for students. If a student feels like they need further help, they can be assigned to a case manager.”
The health center is only open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Once the center becomes more established, the hope is to be open for one more day of the week. The center also plans to begin offering basic dental services on Sept. 28.
So far, the initial reaction of students seems to be positive. “The staff was very kind and courteous, and the wait time wasn’t very long. I was able to schedule an appointment within thirty minutes,” said Ducusin. “I definitely will come back.”