The front door of the DePauw University Wellness Center.
SAM CARAVANA / THE DEPAUW
Running noses and gasping coughs are the first red flags of the DePlague—an unavoidable exposure to the everyday cold. For DePauw students, this usually meant a visit to the Wellness Center located on the first floor of Hogate Hall.
However, with a recent partnership with Hendricks Regional Health (HRH), the Wellness Center will provide students with more opportunities than a typical cold examination.
According to an official press release, the partnership will focus on “creating a wellness-centered college campus unlike any other in the region [and]…will significantly expand medical services and wellness programming to the school’s students, faculty and staff.”
This collaboration will not only optimize the already available medical services with the help of more innovative technology allowing for online scheduling of appointments and extended hours, but will also introduce a new opportunity for students interested in health care.
“Through a partnership with DePauw's Hubbard Center and Hendricks Regional Health, students will have an opportunity to participate in internship, mentoring, job shadow and hands-on learning experiences,” said Amy Haug, HR Director for DePauw. “The experiences will be both on campus at DePauw as well as on-site at the various Hendricks Regional Health facilities [in] Danville, Plainfield [and] Avon.”
To efficiently put these plans into action, HRH has been working with DePauw’s new Health Professions Adviser, Colleen McCracken. The partnership focuses on creating an orientation program for DePauw students—“Healthcare 101”—which is currently planned to take place at HRH's Danville campus in Fall 2015.
By coordinating with students, Colleen is also focusing on identifying areas and topics of interest for “Hands on Healthcare”—a series of on-site clinics performed by healthcare professionals which will be offered during the 2015-16 school year.
Other tentative plans include: internships, mentoring and a possible medical Winter Term In Service in Cuba for January 2016.
“HRH is excited to continue to explore with Raj Bellani and Colleen McCracken [for] additional experiential learning initiatives,” said Director of Human Resources Amy Haug.
Other tentative plans extend to DePauw’s music students. By working with the music school’s faculty and staff, the new healthcare providers will be able “to provide baseline screening and implement protocols for prevention of performance-related injuries and hearing problems by providing targeted education, training and resources,” as stated in the press release.
Kevin P. Speer, President & CEO of Hendricks Regional Health is excited to begin working with DePauw.
“Our organizations share a vision to build something unique at DePauw, bringing health and wellness to the forefront for the entire university community,” he said. “We are excited for this opportunity to positively impact the health of those served by DePauw while helping the university lower healthcare costs. We believe this partnership has what it takes to make DePauw University among the healthiest college campuses in the entire nation.”
Prepared to be available as of Aug. 1, 2015, the partnership is also estimated to bring cost-saving opportunities for DePauw. It is projected that over a ten-year period, the university will attain a savings of $4.7 million in gross and $1.9 million in net savings.
According to Brad Kelsheimer, DePauw’s Vice President for Finance and Administration, “the student health fee is not anticipated to increase over and above annual inflationary increases [because of the partnership].”
However, he stated that the Board approved a $6 per semester per student increase for 2015-16 school year that was related to the improvements in the student experience, and not the HRH partnership.
Completely ran by HRH, the new DePauw Health Clinic will operate in the current Wellness Center location with renovations in plan, until further explorations of a more permanent site become solidified. Current health services staff will either be transitioned into new roles or new positions within Hendricks Regional Health or Putnam County Hospital.
As stated in the press release, this “partnership is the product of the University’s goal to create a more holistic and integrated healthcare environment. [And] will bring enhanced wellness offerings and healthy lifestyle programs […].”
Kelsheimer, however is uncertain of whether all current health center employees will have a position next year.
“We’re working with them right now to help them make a successful transition, including introductions between those employees and Hendricks, and they may become Hendricks employees, they may not.” He added, “We have a phenomenal staff now, but this will be a culture that will be top of the line.”
Hauge believes the program is special, “Our most valuable asset is our people, and our people are students, faculty and staff and to be able to do something that benefits our students our faculty and our staff and to have the financial benefit that we think it could bring—we’re looking for thirty other initiatives like this.”
- Brock Turner contributed to this article