The Student Health Services facilities have been upgraded and have a lot of new, improved, and expanded services to offer to students.

Mental Health

Student Health Services Unveils New and Improved Offerings

Renovated space, easier appointment booking, and more

Over the last two years, BU Student Health Services has seen a growing demand for its services. Primary care visits increased 44 percent last year compared to the 2020-2021 school year, while Behavioral Medicine appointments increased 50 percent during the same period. 

To accommodate that demand, the department’s offices at 881 Commonwealth Avenue have undergone a multiyear, multistage renovation and expansion, resulting in more exam rooms, more gathering space, and other improvements. And not only has the SHS physical space grown, so have its programs and resources.

“Upgrading the facilities helps us meet the needs of students and makes it possible to improve and expand the services we offer,” says Hannah Landsberg (Sargent’13, SPH’13), SHS associate director.

Planning for the project began in 2018, says Karen Molloy, SHS director of finance and operations. “We ran out of room. We had staff in two different locations, and it was very difficult to maintain services [with] different offices. With our patient base growing, we needed to provide additional services and hire new people,” Molloy says, noting that SHS now has 88 staff members.

The expansion came at the right time. Colleges nationwide have seen an uptick in visitors to their student health centers, according to a recent Inside Higher Ed story. Many students delayed routine checkups during the pandemic, and centers saw an increase in patients checking in with their doctors about cold-like symptoms to rule out COVID-19.

“It can be more challenging to receive care outside of BU, for different reasons,” Landsberg says. “These issues started before COVID, but the pandemic certainly exacerbated issues with access to care.”

Construction started last summer, with Behavioral Medicine moving from 930 Comm Ave to 881 Comm Ave to join the rest of SHS. The building’s basement was gutted and renovated to make room for them. The first floor also was renovated to accommodate a larger primary care department, along with administration and finance offices. This summer saw the final phase wrap up, and it included completing the clinic area on the first floor. In total, the space expanded by 7,700 square feet and now has a calming white, blue, and green color scheme and new furniture, carpets, and lighting.  

Newer, larger gathering spaces have already hosted Behavioral Medicine’s in-person support groups (they also offer virtual meetings) and a barn babies meet and greet.

“Now when you walk in, there’s more of a waiting room area,” Landsberg says. “There are different spaces where students can choose to sit and feel more welcome and comfortable. And then the color scheme and design were done very carefully to really have a welcoming and inviting atmosphere.”

In addition to these physical changes, SHS is also offering some new and improved services:

•  Students are now able to book appointments for the Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP) through the Patient Connect portal (this previously wasn’t possible). Note: the portal should not be used for emergencies; SARP also runs a 24/7 crisis hotline (617-353-7277) for students who need support or have concerns about safety, health, and reporting following an experience of violence.

•   Better interpreting services at both the SHS front desk and in patient rooms. Landsberg says SHS knows how challenging it is to navigate the healthcare system, especially if there are language barriers, and so it was important to offer a phone interpreting service “the second they walk in the door.”

•   More collaboration between athletic training, sports medicine, and the primary care departments means better integration for concussion consults. In most cases, students will not have to be referred to facilities outside of BU.

•   Improved accessibility to SHS offices, as the building’s elevator now goes to the bottom floor, and there is also improved access and privacy for emergency transports.

•   For students with moderate or severe respiratory illnesses, students should contact a SHS nurse through Patient Connect. “A lot of times, students can be counseled by a nurse,” Landsberg says. “A nurse can help screen if something is a typical cold, an emergency room visit, or determine if the student should come in and be evaluated further. It helps get the person the care that they need faster.”

If students have COVID-19 symptoms, they should test and follow these instructions.

And if you missed our story last week, Behavioral Medicine has a new director, too.