In Spring 2023, Averett University welcomed Teresa Barker as the new Director of Health Services. Barker is a Registered Nurse who works with a local physician who helps oversee the clinic at Averett. The Health Services Clinic at Averett is a walk-in clinic, this means no appointments need to be scheduled before visiting. The Clinic is located in the Galesi Family Student Success Center building and offers students a wide variety of services to help take care of their health.
“Students will come here when they experience cold symptoms, seasonal allergies, stomach issues,” Barker said. “They also walk in when they need first aid. We also do vital assessments like weight, height and blood pressure. There is also certain testing we can do such as, covid, strep, mono, flu and pregnancy testing.”
Every day Barker has students walk in who are all in need of different kinds of support. As most students live away from home, without their parents for the first time, it can be hard to determine when you might need medical help. This is why the Clinic offers such a wide variety of medical support for the students at Averett.
“It is kind of like going to your mom when you are not feeling well and getting her advice, maybe trying to get some over the counter medicine,” Barker said.
Whenever the student walks in and it is their first time visiting the clinic, they fill out a demographic form. After filling out this form, or if they have been to the clinic before, the student will fill out a form with their contact information and a short symptom assessment. After this the nurse will assist the student in one of the offices.
If a student comes in when they feel sick, the nurse will make an assessment based on their symptoms and how long they have been occuring. Based on this assessment the nurse might also run some tests on the student, after this the nurse will decide on what will be the best solution. Sometimes the nurse will recommend over the counter medications or antibiotics. If the student wants or needs further assessment, the Health Center also has a partnership with Dr. Winfield. Dr. Winfield is a Family Doctor and the Medical Director of Providence Family and Sports Medicine, located in Danville. Appointments with Dr. Winfield can usually be made the same or next day.
With a lot of Averetts students living in dorms, it is really easy for infections to spread around. To prevent viral infections from spreading so easily, basic hygiene remains very important.
“Washing your hands multiple times a day is always very important,” Barker said. “Just think about how many people touch the same doorknob as you. Clean your room and stuff like your laptop and phone with a disinfectant spray or wipe on a regular basis to prevent bacteria from spreading.”
Even with all these measures, people unfortunately still get sick. To keep others safe Barker recommends that one of the best things to do when you are feeling sick, besides visiting the Health Center, is to wear a mask to alleviate the spreading. Even if you might not have a fever and are just not feeling well, it is important to stay mindful of the people around you. If you do not like to wear a mask, keep yourself at distance from others when you are not feeling well. Sometimes it can be hard to decide whether a student wants to wear a mask, advice Barker gives to these students is to do what you would want someone else to do around you.
