Health Center and UCS to Start Expanded Services

Truman students will soon have access to expanded physical and mental health care services thanks to a new partnership with a local provider.

Starting March 8, Complete Family Medicine will oversee operations of both the Student Health Center and University Counseling Services. As a subsidiary of Hannibal Regional Healthcare System, a non-profit agency, Complete Family Medicine has the capacity to offer additional resources to students including expanded hours, increased access to a physician and access to off-site providers when needed.

“Physical and mental well-being are cornerstones of a successful student experience,” said University President Sue Thomas. “By partnering with a professional, non-profit health care provider, we will be able to offer enhanced services to support our students’ needs.”

The Student Health Center and University Counseling Services will remain housed in the McKinney Center. All current employees will be retained, and by partnering with Complete Family Medicine both services will have access to additional personnel when needed.

Services will be accessible year around. During the school year, new hours of operation will be from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Dr. Jordan Palmer will be the medical director overseeing both clinics and will provide office hours in the Student Health Center. As an alumnus of Truman and A.T. Still University, he brings an understanding of the campus and local community.

“Being an alumnus, I know the culture at Truman. I know the environment that the faculty and staff and students work to create so that we can have students go on to do great things when they’re done with their education,” Palmer said. “All of that knowledge will make this effort even more successful, and it’s going to make for a great partnership.”

Equitable care is a priority of the arrangement. In the early stages of this new collaborative effort Truman will subsidize care, and students will not see any increase in the cost of services. Because Complete Family Medicine is part of a larger network with experience in multiple facets of health care, they can provide services on a sliding scale. Their experience with medical billing, referrals and insurance providers will streamline services.

“We’re a non-profit. We’re not here to squeeze out every penny, either from the University or the students who come to see us,” Palmer said. “The goal is to be a premiere student health center and student counseling center that other universities look to because we’ve implemented models and processes of care that are making our students as healthy as possible so they can be successful in and out of the classroom.”

Students seeking services through the Student Health Center or University Counseling Services will have the option to handle their care through private insurance, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs benefits or private payments. By providing students more initial access, they should benefit in the long term.

“We want students to come and see us early on so we can tackle small problems before they become big problems,” Palmer said.

All contact information for both clinics will remain the same. Students can contact the Student Health Center at 660.785.4182 and UCS at 660.785.7444 or ucs@truman.edu. More information regarding Complete Family Medicine can be found at cfmcares.com.