TOPHER ELKINS
Special to The Leader
LoGrasso Hall is Fredonia’s only student health center, and in light of a recent Scallion article, the center’s hours of operation have come under question.
On the school’s website, LoGrasso’s mission is listed “ … to provide quality medical care for the Fredonia student while creating a culture in which the student can make informed and responsible decisions regarding their personal health and wellness.”
Officially, LoGrasso Hall is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with 4:30 to 5 p.m. being designated to emergency slots for those who did not make appointments.
A complaint by one student, sophomore Alec Wright, is that the hours conflict with class schedules.
“It’s just hard to get in there when they are only open during times when I either have classes or practice,” said Wright.
Deborah Dibble is the director of Student Health at LoGrasso Hall. Her role is to oversee all functions within the Health Center. This includes policies, procedures, staffing and even complaints.
As a nurse practitioner, she sees a lot of the students that go into LoGrasso for medical attention.
“If we saw patients right up until 5 o’clock, we don’t have any transportation for them,” said Dibble.
She explained that the Student Health Center is staffed by nurse practitioners and registered nurses, which qualifies them as a mid-level provider. Because of this, they can diagnose symptoms, write prescriptions and scan for x-rays. However, they cannot officially administer x-rays because that has to go through a primary physician or by a hospital. According to Dibble, this is due to insurance reasons. The Health Center also does not prescribe psychiatric medication, because there is a nurse practitioner on staff in the counseling center as well.
LoGrasso Hall’s Student Health Center is an on-campus accessible option for those with health needs that are not immediate threats to a student’s health.
“…if it’s something that’s an emergency, and emergency meaning that they cannot wait until the next day to see us, then it’s calling for an ambulance, or going over to Brooks Memorial Hospital,” said Dibble.