The Ambler Health and Wellness Center now provides an additional hour every weekday for students, staff, and faculty to see a doctor.
Dr. Scott Kirsch of Hillsdale Hospital is now available at the Health and Wellness Center between noon and 4 p.m. Before this semester, his hours were 1-4 p.m.
“We decided to make the change this semester because we have seen an increase in the number of students and staff and faculty who utilize our medical services, especially to see Dr. Kirsch,” Director of Health Services Brock Lutz said.
College Nurse Kari Coupland will still be available from 8-11 a.m. and from 12-4 p.m. to triage patients and provide over-the-counter medication.
The demand for a doctor has grown, with the Health and Wellness Center’s doctor visits increasing by 25% from the fall of 2022 to the fall of 2023, according to Kirsch.
“The extra hour allows us to meet a wider variety of student and faculty schedules,” Coupland said.
Lutz said the health center assesses students’ needs each year to provide appropriate hours and personnel.
“We are always actively evaluating what services our students, faculty, and staff need and how to best provide those medical, psychological, psychiatric, nutritional, and chiropractic and strength training services,” Lutz said.
A doctor on staff allows the center to operate like an outpatient primary care office, according to Lutz. He said the doctor can diagnose, order labs and medical imaging, complete checkups, prescribe medications, and fill prescriptions.
“All of these tasks can be accomplished on a visit with the doctor at the college health center for a very small fee of $50, compared to the many hundreds or even thousands of dollars that it costs to go to any emergency room and the generally well over $100 it costs to go to an urgent care,” Kirsch said.
Coupland said patients will still need to make appointments with the doctor, though walk-ins are accepted if Kirsch is available.
“I know that the staff at the health center is very busy taking care of all the students of Hillsdale, so I appreciate the doctor giving more of his time,” sophomore Veronica Fogo said.
