Institutions of education in the United States usually have a wide array of resources to benefit their students. One of these resources is a Health Center or at least an active nurse on staff, which you would think Mercer might have, since we have a well known nursing program. But as we’ve reported in The VOICE several times, we don’t.
Not having a health center has a negative impact on student learning. Students with minor medical problems, like migraines, a bad nosebleed or a sprained ankle, end up having to leave campus to deal with the issues, instead of getting quick treatment and heading back to class.
Starting from kindergarten, students in public schools in the U.S. have some type of medical staff on their school’s campus. The government understands that having a certified professional on hand can assist with small issues and know when something is an emergency and an ambulance should be called. This aids students so they can keep the focusing on studying.
Of New Jersey’s 18 community colleges, seven have health centers of some sort, Mercer is among those that do not.
Skye Waters, a Digital Film major, has experienced firsthand the shortcomings of not having a nurse on campus. After falling ill on campus, her only options were to either go home or call 911 to be transported to a hospital for treatment.
Neighboring community colleges such as Middlesex County College describe on their website the available medical services such as “nursing assessment of health problems and referrals as needed. First aid/urgent care that may help reduce serious complications. Immunization offered ‘at cost’ for current students.”
Bergen Community College has similar services available. But we don’t have them at Mercer, and we are not in a county that is as socio-economically challenged as some others where lack of services is likely to occur.
From MCCC’s own website, student health services are described as “limited.” For medical emergencies, certified security personnel can administer first aid, but they are generally instructed to call an ambulance.
A VOICE article published November of 2017 noted that: “Mercer’s Health Professions Coordinator, Cynthia Matyas has been working at Mercer for 18 years and says she would love to have a nurse’s office on campus, but that she is aware that funding presents a problem.”
However, back in 2008, another VOICE article tackled the issue and noted a way that funding might be made available. According to reporter Alexandra Hough, “Although room in the budget and the high cost of the center seems to be the most significant reason on why we do not have [a health center], there are sources that might help Mercer finance one. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation specifically offers grants to institutions and organizations that provide health care to what they call ‘vulnerable populations,’ which include the low income populations that are served by community colleges like Mercer. In particular, they tend to give money within the state of New Jersey. Further, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation goes beyond many other non-profit organizations in that it offers continuing support rather than simply seed money for start-up costs. This type of financing would be crucial for such an endeavor.”
And guess what? This Robert Wood Johnson grant program is still around. There are creative solutions out there, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone in administration able push to get this needed resource.
The anxiety of not having proper care weighs on the minds of many students, and health problems often cause students to miss school which can lead to falling grades, dropping out of classes, and inability to graduate. Having a health center on campus could allow students to focus on classes so they could get the education they are striving for.
