There is a new service being provided by the Student Health Center. If students have health questions when the Health Center is closed they can now call 1-866-724-5057 and speak with a California licensed nurse.
“It’s like a tele nurse,” said Rebecca Stauffer, MD, director of the Health Center. “If a student is having soar throat or cough, and it is Sunday, and they’re wondering what to do they should call the service.”
Before you call the 800-number, Stauffer said it is important to know your symptoms. “One of the questions they ask is if you have a fever,” she said. “So we encourage everyone to get a thermometer. This will really help with the flu season.”
The Health Center will soon be handing out credit-card-sized digital thermometers for free to help students prepare.
If students have an emergency they should call 911, but if they have a general question they can call the nurse service. Stauffer advised students to dial (707) 826-5023 if they are using a cell phone, because dialing 911 just transfers you to the California Highway Patrol. Stauffer said the campus used to provide a local service years ago, but it would be “way too expensive” to have someone on call now. She said funding for the service is provided through the Student Health Fee, which is included in the cost of tuition. The fee did not need to be increased to include this service.
The new service is not an on-campus service. It is outsourced through a company called Nurse Response.
A request for an interview with the company could not be granted by deadline. Information gained through the company’s Website states that it has been in the telehealth business since 1995.
According to the site, Nurse Response “provides effective clinical triage services for academic institutions, physicians, hospitals, and managed care organizations.”
Both Nurse Response and Stauffer assure that the people on the other end of the line are licensed nurses. “They have to be licensed in California to provide advice,” said Stauffer.
After students get advice they are directed to go to a local clinic if necessary, or wait to see someone at the Health Center. The next morning, Stauffer receives a report on the call.
“The reports are surprisingly detailed,” said Stauffer. “It would imply they are asking a lot of questions and giving a lot of information to students.”
Since the service is new, and medical records are sealed to the public, the verdict is still out on how much the service helps.
Stauffer just wants the service to help students who are leaving “the nest” for the first time and taking care of themselves, instead of their parents. “I really hope this will help students manage their own illness.”
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