New Student Health Director Discusses Covid, Monkey Disease and Other Current Challenges – VCU News

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“I had a front-row seat to the epidemic,” Green said. “As I begin the new school year as director of student health, I will recognize what has been accomplished in the past two and a half years and expand the care provided.”

Green, board certified in family practice, graduated VCU School of Medicine and completed her residency at the VCU/Shenandoah Valley Family Practice Residency Program in Front Royal, Virginia. She joined the residency faculty for several years at the practice, later serving as interim assistant director of residency and doing private practice in the local community before returning to VCU.

Green spoke with VCU News about what students can expect from Health Services as they begin the new semester.

As the new Director of Student Health, what are you and your team doing as students begin the new semester?

My goal this year is to continue to educate our students to be health care consumers. Students are at a developmental stage where they begin to understand and manage their own health and well-being. I would like to collaborate with the Department of Student Affairs and other departments in the university in providing health and wellness resources.

What are the current issues faced by the college students this year?

Addressing the mental health needs of our community in an inclusive manner is one of the biggest issues I see facing campuses as we move through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since covid is still around, how are you helping students with covid to prevent and recover? What advice would you give them to keep them safe and healthy?

With covid still spreading in our community, we continue to encourage our students to wear masks and remember to get their covid vaccinations and boosters where they are. It’s fine to spend time with friends outside without a mask, but consider wearing a mask when social distancing is high and in a room/large group where social distancing is not possible. I recommend getting your free flu shot through VCU Student Health.

How are you dealing with monkeypox and what are you doing about it?

The average student at VCU is less likely to be exposed to rabies. I lead the public health response team and we developed a protocol for testing and contact tracing. As the semester continues, we will continue to work closely with the Richmond City Health Department to monitor cases in the Richmond area and assess the risk to VCU students, faculty and staff. Many people don’t know that we have constant communication with RCHD about infectious disease concerns for our VCU family.

What should students know about covid and monkeypox during the school year?

Know that covid is not gone and know that self-defense equipment is at hand, and if symptoms appear, call Student Health for testing. Regarding monkeypox, students should review information provided by RCHD, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and if they feel they may have been exposed, contact Student Health to discuss. their worries.

Over the past three years, mental health has been at the forefront of discussions regarding covid, monkeypox, the economy, and national and international events. How are you helping students cope with the challenges they face?

Support for mental health issues was at the forefront even before the pandemic, but since the pandemic, we have seen an increase in demand for mental health services. We are fortunate to have a staff of primary care physicians capable of treating most mental health issues, but we also have two psychiatrists and a psychiatric nurse practitioner on staff – this includes services that are inexpensive for students. We are excited about the addition of TimelyCare, a virtual health and wellness platform, as a resource for students focusing on counseling. It also has health training.

How are you dealing with the polio problem since there have been recent outbreaks? Is this a concern for students?

We review the immunization status of students enrolled at VCU. We work closely with the Health Department and review information on infectious diseases that may affect our campus. We are fortunate to have a public health response team, which consists of members of the University and VCU Health Our VCU Family Health Management System and the Health Department address any public health concerns that our campus may face.

What are the future goals/plans for student health?

My biggest goal at Student Health is to create a holistic environment that meets the needs of our patients. Additionally, continue to make sure we are committed to the physical and mental health of our students. All students are welcome here and I want no student to leave without good health care. I am passionate about finding new and innovative ways to help our students achieve health and wellness.

What are you most excited about in your new role?

We have more freedom to collaborate with other departments on campus to ensure we are reaching the entire student population.

What do you think will be your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge is finding time to invest in new activities that are meaningful to the students on our campus. We see 30,000 to 40,000 office visits a year, but the students want to make sure that we provide excellent primary care to our patients and that we can provide it to all students who need care here at VCU. I would like to collaborate with the Department of Student Affairs and other departments in the university in providing health and wellness resources.