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Benson confirms Student Health Clinic closure

Although SUU student leaders continue to discuss the possibilities of shutting the Student Health Clinic, school administrators have already announced the clinic’s closure.

SUU President Michael T. Benson confirmed Friday in an e-mail interview with a Journal reporter that the clinic will close as a result of severe budget cuts.

Benson and other administrators, who considered participation rates for the Student Health Clinic while contemplating the decision, said the administration is looking at health care providers to ensure student access to health care.

‘I wish we could offer all sorts of services to students, but we have to look realistically at what we can afford,’ he said. ‘Despite our challenges, we feel we have some good momentum at the university.’

Donna Eddleman, student services vice president, said the goal of the budget cut is to ‘protect the academic mission,’ which includes retaining faculty positions.

Eddleman said the definitive solution to the Student Health Clinic closing isn’t the Cedar City Community Clinic, located at 74 W. Harding Ave., although the clinic will always be an option for students.

At the Jan. 13 senate meeting, Sen. Nate Anderson, College of Science, proposed solutions to keep the clinic.

One of the options is for Cedar Ridge to take over the clinic and allow them to bill students’ insurance. This option would allow the current health-clinic-associated student fee to be eliminated.

‘About 60 to 70 percent of students have insurance; the current health clinic doesn’t bill it,’ Anderson said. ‘They would have to adjust the rate fee per student but they feel it would be a great service for the students.’

Anderson said the other option would be to increase student fees $4 or $5 per semester above the current $11 fee to keep the clinic open.

He said once the budget conditions return to normal, the student fee would be reduced.

Eddleman said she thinks an outside provider makes more sense; however, she doesn’t agree with increasing student fees.

‘I appreciate (Anderson’s) interest and passion relative to health care; the challenge is that we’ve got to trim the budget,’ Eddleman said. ‘If we don’t cut the health clinic, my question to the senate has been, ‘What other options do you think the university should consider?’ ‘

SUUSA President Cody Alderson said he thinks the university and administration should ‘explore the options’ before making a final decision, despite the short timeline.

‘We don’t have much time, but what’s great is we don’t have any affiliation with the community clinic that’s close to campus,’ Alderson said. ‘It provides opportunities for students who don’t have insurance to receive medical services they need and buys us time to search other options.’

Alderson said a decision on the clinic will be made by the end of the school year, although he’s unsure of what will happen.

‘I think right now everyone has in their mind if (the clinic closure is) a yes or no, but I think we need to explore our options,’ Alderson said. ‘Primarily we need to look at the good of the university and wonder if it’s something we need to allow the school to fully function.’

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