Student Health Takes Priority at FC
Living a healthy life isn’t always easy for a college student. In addition to academic stress factors, college students face a number of other challenges such as food insecurity, access to nutritious and affordable food, exposure to drugs and alcohol, and for some, often lack adequate and affordable healthcare which is why Fullerton College Student Health Services has made it a priority to increase awareness surrounding student health and the services offered by FC Health Services.
This past year, Health Services held more than a dozen outreach events and presentations including Lunch and Learn workshops and sessions, health and wellness fairs, and classroom presentations to introduce students to various health and wellness resources offered at the Student Health Center. Subsequently, the Health Center had nearly 3,000 visits from May to November of this year alone.
Even so, health education coordinator, Kelly Salazar said more can always be done.
“A student’s overall health and wellness is our number one priority,” she said. “The more students know about the resources available to them, the better equipped they are to live healthier lives.”
Salazar said awareness of services is key, which is why peer health educators are an important part of their outreach strategy. Peer health educators can be found on the campus quad twice a month to help students access resources, answer general questions, and provide students with information on upcoming wellness events.
During the fall semester alone, Health Services held four wellness events including Feed FC Food Fest, the Great American Smokeout and a Substance Abuse Fair. Those events offered Health Services insight into the number of students experiencing food insecurity and nicotine addiction at FC and also allowed peer health educators an opportunity to connect students with resources to assist in those areas.
More than 300 canned food items were collected during the Feed FC Food Fest and more than 60 students took the “Quit Cold Turkey Challenge” in November during the Great American Smokeout. The Food Fest collection went directly to the Fullerton College Food Bank where students are able to visit every Tuesday to fill up a bag of canned and/or dried food items.
Other events hosted in the fall included an annual suicide prevention event and a Wellness Symposium which helped students understand the benefits of meditation, nutrition, and the practice of mindfulness to decrease stress and improve overall health.
In addition, Health Services provides low-cost health care and free examinations to students who have paid their student health services fee. Psychological services are available by appointment, and Salazar said nurses and office staff are always ready and available to answer questions and provide support.
In the spring, Health Services will continue to increase awareness about services and already have several events planned including more Lunch and Learns and a Spring Health Fair, which will invite non-profit and health services organizations to campus to connect with students.
In the meantime, Health Services created a video to help with awareness of available services. The video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/rLaqKO_DHUQ . Or to schedule an appointment and more information call 714-992-7093.
