Wellness Fee
The Wellness Fee is assessed at $5.50 per credit hour each Fall, Spring, and Summer trimester.
During clinic visits, the Wellness Fee covers the costs of consultation, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations that are not otherwise covered by health insurance. This fee does not cover the cost of medications, medical supplies, laboratory tests, or procedures (injections, minor surgeries, etc.).
Any charges associated with a visit to the Wellness Center that are not covered by the Wellness Fee and/or a health insurance can be charged to a student’s University account. There are no out-of-pocket expenses at the time of visit.
Services Funded by the Wellness Fee
In an effort to provide comprehensive and integrated health and wellness services to the entire campus community, the Wellness Fee funds a broad range of services from which all Northwest students benefit:
Health Services
- Consultation, diagnosis and treatment recommendations from Wellness Center nurses and providers. The Health Fee does not cover the cost of medications, supplies like splints and ace wraps, laboratory tests or procedures like injections and minor surgeries
- Patient education during visits to the Wellness Center
- Liaison with St. Francis Hospital Medical Staff and HospitalEmergency Staff and Mental Health Unit to promote access and quality care for students
- Prevention and response to emergencies in the student population
- 24-hour emergency resource for Residential Life and the campus at large in addressing students at risk
- Coordination of services for athletic department with trainers and assistant director, including physicals for all athletes
Personal Development and Counseling Services
- Cost of visits to Counseling Services (individual and group counseling sessions)
- Crisis Management
- Consultation (faculty/staff/student)
- Outreach (campus, classroom, and community presentations)
- Eating Disorders Team for Northwest students with eating disorders
- Institutional Testing
Wellness and Public Health Services
- Health promotion and health education opportunities for students (speakers, awareness weeks, campus activities, etc.)
- Grant writing to obtain resources that address a variety of health, wellness, and safety issues
- Peer Education program
- Programs for students who have experienced difficulties related to alcohol use
- Advisement of student groups
- Notification of the campus community of health risks and recommendations related to illness
- Collaboration with campus TV, radio, and newspaper to provide health and wellness information to the campus community
- Coordination of a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program for the campus, including Sexual Assault Hot Line, advocacy services for victims, and University representation on the community Sexual Assault Response Team
- Participation in all SOAR summer orientation sessions
- Participation in Transfer Student Orientation
- Programs during Advantage Week on health, safety and campus resources
- Prevention of communicable diseases, including (but not limited to) tuberculosis, meningococcal disease, measles, influenza, hepatitis through vaccination and education
- Coordination of health services in planning for response to bioterrorism and other emergency situations
Trainings
- Certified Peer Education training for students (RA’s, Peer Educators, Community Leaders, etc.)
- Training for Safe Ride employees in emergency medical care
- Training for University employees on health and disease
- Training for Missouri Academy Staff, students and parents in health issues
- Training/Educational opportunities for students (Freshman Seminar presentations, Residence Hall presentations, student group presentations, etc.)
- Trainings for student groups on diverse health and wellness topics, upon request
- Continuing education, training, and professional development for Wellness Center
Campus and Community Partnerships
- Participation in the Threat Assessment Team to address at-risk students
- Participation in the LAP/S committee to provide services for students with disabilities
- Collaboration with International and Intercultural Center in providing services for international students, including education about health issues and insurance
- Participation in the Healthy Campus 2010 committee
- Participation in the Substance Abuse Task Force committee
- Participation in Missouri Partners in Prevention (PIP), which is directed at coordinating campus and community efforts to address alcohol and drug abuse
- Participation with Human Resources and the Be Well Committee, which provides health and wellness resources for faculty and staff
- Participation in the Freshman Seminar Advisory Committee and Freshman Experience Committee
- Participation in the Regional Mental Health Task Force