Jacob Franklin
Opinions Editor
Upon return to in-person classes after the intense snowstorm, University Health Services, our on-campus nurse practitioners’ office, has been working non-stop to combat the spread of COVID and the flu on Sewanee’s campus. Though I have been lucky enough to avoid this spread, I have heard from those who have had to visit UHS that its services are sometimes lacking.
A first-year student, protected with anonymity, claimed that they were severely misdiagnosed. “I walked in with a severe cough,” this student says, “and was told I had allergies. When I went home for the holidays, my doctor at home diagnosed me with severe asthma.” Another anonymous student, a sophomore, said that they were told their flu-like symptoms were dismissed as a change in the seasons one week at UHS, and when they returned the next week, they were formally diagnosed with bronchitis.
To further explore these students’ claims, The Purple sat down with one UHS nurse practitioners, Mindy Holloway, to discuss UHS’s role on campus and how the recent spike of illness on campus has affected UHS’s ability to diagnose and treat students’ health troubles. I gained valuable insight into the mechanics of UHS, and have determined that Sewanee’s University Health Services are more than sufficient when one understands the context of the conditions under which they, and the medical field by and large, work under.
University Health Services – as described by Holloway – aims to “help every patient by making sure that they are taken care of and their needs are met while they are there.” A common misunderstanding about UHS is that, because UHS is a nurse practitioner’s office as opposed to a doctor’s office, UHS is not as effective.
As Holloway states, “it’s really the exact same as a doctor’s office. We have three nurses registered, so there are three of us ready to help and ask about your symptoms. And we have a dispensary, so we are able to keep some medications with us.” These professionals, while highly qualified, are bound to make mistakes, just like anyone of any occupation. Misdiagnoses, while incredibly unfortunate and inconvenient for patients, are not necessarily an indicator of an incapable service.
Everyone a part of this community must remember that it is our responsibility to prevent the spread of illness. While we need medical professionals to provide medication against the flu or other illnesses, there are easy steps we can take to dampen the rapid nature by which these sorts of illnesses spread, such as wearing masks or staying home when we are not well, that can keep others safe from ailments. It is imperative that we take these steps, and do so with vigilance, as it is our obligation to our peers to protect them from our sickness. This is not just because we have no idea the autoimmune complications of any peer walking on University Avenue whose health relies upon the consideration of others. We can also relieve some of the stress that UHS endures when they are in the midst of an illness spike like this.
A vast majority of the complaints about UHS can be resolved by us being more considerate to our fellow students. When I asked Holloway how UHS has been affected by this recent spike, she said “[spikes like] this can make us very busy. Since the end of the snow, we have had forty-five flu cases and fifteen COVID cases, and that is only people who have visited us, not including people who have been to urgent care.” Sewanee’s isolation means that most students are going there for all of their medical needs, which leads to UHS being busy during a normal season. However, when student carelessness causes a spike in illness on campus, this adds to the stress that UHS already faces. By decreasing the stress that is placed upon UHS in times like this, we can make their work less overwhelming and allow them to better treat patients.
The winter months are commonly the worst for illness to spread, so just remember to be safe, careful, and stay home if you are sick. UHS wants to help all the patients it sees, and you can help the system by keeping yourself and others healthy whenever possible.
I urge the community of Sewanee to better consider the impact they have on other students’ health. While it is UHS’s responsibility to treat illness, it is our responsibility to make sure those illnesses and their spread across campus are not exacerbated further by careless behavior, such as refusing to stay home when ill.