U of M Lambuth offers free health services to students
JACKSON, Tenn. — College students are on the minds of health officials at the University of Memphis Lambuth. The campus hosted its first ever health and safety fair.
“There’s no reason that just because they’re not at home that they can’t be healthy,” said Dr. Niles Reddick, vice provost for U of M Lambuth.
Organizations set up Wednesday morning to talk to students about their health.
“Events like this are really smiled upon by our student body,” student Ben Bishop said.
There were some conversations a college freshman may be having for the first time.
“All of the sudden, they’re an adult and they’re on their own or should be becoming on their own,” said Kathy Cates, an RN at the University of Memphis’ main campus. “So they need to know their own health history, what medications they’re on. They need to be able to take care of themselves and make good decisions for life.”
Cates said students are not as likely as they once were to drink and drive.
“About 75 percent of students know that you shouldn’t drink and drive, and don’t. But there are still people that can be reached that need information like that,” Cates said.
Some groups are also trying to help students understand consequences of being sexually active and what options they have if they are.
“Bringing a baby into that situation and going to school and working full time is definitely going to take a lot of your income,” said Shantae Key, a student with the “A Step Ahead” organization.
The university said this is all part of their mission for students.
“We, as educators, aren’t just about teaching classes in a degree program,” Reddick said. “We want to make sure that all students have a healthy, positive experience while they’re away.”
The University of Memphis Lambuth does not have its own center where students can get check-ups and be prescribed medication, but school officials say this service is in the works.
Students can get low-cost and many free services if they travel to the Memphis campus.
