BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Imagine stepping out of class and right into the doctors office without ever having to get in your car. That's what Tanisha Thompson and 18,000 other Bakersfield college students now have the option to do.
"You know it's great. I don't have to worry about leaving school to go see a doctor. I can just come right here on campus," said Thompson.
Bakersfield College and Clinica Sierra Vista have formed a partnership to provide health services to students on the college's Panorama Campus in northeast Bakersfield.
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In addition to the college's full-time, on-staff registered nurse, the Bakersfield College Health and Wellness Center also provides services from CSV physician Dr. Michael Farber. Mental health services are provided by Edie Warkentin, licensed clinical social worker from CSV.
All students enrolled at Bakersfield College and attending at least one class on the Panorama Campus are able to visit the Health and Wellness Center at no cost. The student health fee covers consultations with all staff but does not include medical insurance coverage for testing or referrals for services not offered on campus.
Services offered on campus include blood pressure monitoring, blood sugar monitoring, cholesterol screening, diabetes screening, drug information, first aid, hearing and vision screening, over-the-counter medications, pregnancy tests and weight control information.
The new clinic also comes with ambulance services, which has been used daily since it began. School officials say having an on-site clinic will benefit more than just students' health.
"If students aren't healthy, then they're not in classes and they're not learning. They're not meeting their educational goal, so by providing this service, many of our students have no other opportunity for health care," said BC President Greg Chamberlain.
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