UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — From colds and coughs, eye infections and earaches, to minor pains, scrapes and bruises, the new Penn State Health and Wellness Center will provide University Park employees with high-quality episodic care in a convenient setting.
Slated to open in early January in the Nursing Sciences Building (formerly Health and Human Development East), the center will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and will follow the University calendar. Nurse practitioners from the College of Nursing will provide care five days a week and work alongside Penn State Health physicians two days per week.
The innovative collaboration not only benefits Penn State faculty and staff, it also fulfills the College of Nursing’s mission to develop qualified nurse leaders at all levels of practice through integrated programs of nursing education, research, scholarship and outreach.
“The goal of the Penn State Health and Wellness Center is to help employees get timely assistance for minor illnesses in the most convenient way,” said College of Nursing Dean Paula Milone-Nuzzo. “By helping people avoid major illnesses, we can improve the health of our community.”
The walk-in center, which only is open to Penn State employees, will provide convenient treatment for common ailments without the inconvenience of scheduling, traveling to and from, and attending an off-campus physician appointment. The center is the manifestation of the University’s commitment to fostering a culture of health, identified by University leadership as a priority in the 2016–2020 strategic plan.
“The center is part of an overall strategy and linked to comprehensive services the University is providing to faculty and staff to encourage a culture of health,” said Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Susan M. Basso. “The Penn State Health and Wellness Center is one of many plan features and programs that will promote a healthy community, advocate healthy choices and activities, and support the consistent and effective management of health risks.”
Based on similar facilities and best practices at comparable universities, the center will open in January to provide basic care on a walk-in or scheduled basis for many common conditions, including but not limited to:
• abdominal pain and stomach aches
• allergies
• bronchitis
• colds, coughs and flu
• eye, ear, nose and throat infections
• nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
• minor rashes and skin conditions
• sinus infections and sinusitis
• abrasions, sprains and strains not associated with a workplace injury
While open to faculty and staff, the center is not intended to replace the Department of Occupational Medicine, which treats Penn State employee injuries that occur in the normal course of performing one’s job and within the scope of one’s duties.
For more serious conditions, faculty and employees also have access to Penn State Health physicians at one of several Medical Group practices located in the State College area, including primary and specialty care.
Following the center’s opening in January, the University plans to expand the clinic’s features and explore more options for service. For example, expansion of services to include health and wellness education, including nutrition and exercise counseling, is planned for 2017. Opportunities are also being explored to extend the wellness clinic services model to other Penn State campuses.
For more information, contact Beverly G. Molnar, in the College of Nursing, by email at bgs3@psu.edu or by phone at 814-863-0878, or Crystal Henry, Penn State Hershey Medical Group, Penn State College of Medicine, University Park Regional Campus by email at chenry4@hmc.psu.edu or by phone at 814-689-0003.