As University Health Services celebrates its 100th birthday with free massages and pet therapy this week, The Daily Cardinal spoke with Executive Director of UHS Sarah Van Orman about the history and future of the student service.
UHS originally opened with a focus on treating medical conditions such as typhoid and the influenza panic of 1918, Orman said.
Its services have remained constant since it opened and the biggest changes in the last 100 years have been the kinds of illnesses UHS treats.
According to Orman, treating mental health has been the main focus of UHS in recent years, marking the transition from primarily serving medical illnesses to mental illnesses.
Orman said the complexities of the medical and mental illnesses on campus have changed drastically, because as medicine has advanced, the service is willing and able to treat illnesses it they previously could not.
This made it possible for students to attend the university who were previously unable, such as students suffering from Chrome's disease and Asperger's disease.
""There are many more students now on campus who have serious ongoing medical conditions,"" Orman said. ""They're able to come to campus because of better treatment.""
According to Orman, future budget cuts will do little to suppress the success of UHS. To help offset the cuts, UHS will drop their sports medicine specialist and dermatology clinic for next year.
Orman said the changes in programming allow UHS to keep other core services for years to come.
Despite minor changes over the years, UHS maintains a similar goal to when they first opened.
""By hopefully meeting health and wellbeing need we really contribute to the university, and I think this is UHS's goal all along,"" Orman said.
—Alex DiTullio
