The Justice

I disagree with this editorial for a few reasons.

One, to say that "the Brandeis Health Center is already better than other schools" is a bad reason to not try to improve it more. We don't want a better health center because we want to up our rankings; we want a better health center because we think we deserve better than what we're getting. So what if we have better hours (also--that's one criterion on which to compare--there are numerous other unrelated ones that are more important) if we're not getting the best care during those hours?

Two, no suggestions are offered for how the Union can "better invest its time." I think the Health Center is a pretty important part of campus. While its problems might be easy to ignore by the student population when they aren't sick, it becomes vital when you find yourself unable to get out of bed and with no useful options for getting better other than "waiting it out." Healthcare shouldn't just about when people are sick, our health a result of many lifestyle choices and factors (ask any HSSP student on campus...). Maybe the Health Center should look into teaming up with some trainers at the gym or food services to help students maintain healthy lifestyles. Don't know about you, but the display of nutrition information on every thing in Usdan has made me want to eat there even less...that should not be the case There's so many ways the Health Center can be a better resource to student's health every day as opposed to just on sick days.

Lastly, I disagree with the excuse that "it happens at all doctors offices." When students are sick, the Health Center is not doing the best job it can. Yes, I understand the argument that no matter what doctor you go to, the diagnoses aren't always right and care isn't perfect, but it's more than than that. Students feel disrespected in terms of privacy, quality of care, and options offered. Those are big issues for a healthcare center to be lacking in. And as for the fact that student surveys didn't return results worth improving upon--it's not fair to expect students to point out all of the flaws in the Health Center. Just the fact that they are unhappy (and they are) should be reason enough to look into a review. Shouldn't the trained health care professionals be able to help identify what's broken and then discuss with the students how to fix it?

A review is NOT a waste of the Union's time, but an important way to help improve life on campus.

I think the purpose of an audit is more about proving to the administration that there are actual problems with the health center than actually uncovering new problems, because I think most students already know what those problem sare. I don't know about the authors of this editorial, but I think trying to improve the quality of the health center is a pretty good use of time.

I find it very disheartening that the Justice chooses to chastise the Union for trying to push for reform in an area that affects every student's life and that is known to be one of the large concerns that students express on almost a daily basis. It is complacency with the status quo that has allowed many of the services on campus to become as sub-par as they are now. It is also quite interesting that in no place does the Justice care to enlighten the student body about the role that the Health Center administration has taken in trying to fix these issues. The lack of progress in reform has come mainly from the roadblocks thrown up by parties who would rather wait out the impassioned students calling for change than to be proactive in improving a valuable service. Yet another example of high quality investigative journalism, well done Justice.

I always love reading the Justice editorial when the Board decides it wants to play Student Government. Its nice, it reminds me that their could always be less qualified people running the Union. The Justice claims that a review of the health center is a waste of the Union's time, the Justice also points out that the health center does need improvement. I would like to ask the editors of the Justice what other method they think there is to improve the health center other than the plan laid out by Jess Blumberg? The Justice stated that it is generally accepted on campus that the health center sucks, well duh, anyone who's been asked if they're pregnant more than once knows that the quality of care blows. But nobody in senior administration has ever gone to the health center, they all have private doctors, I would bet twenty bucks that Jean Eddy has never even set foot in the thing.

The Justice assumes that just because there is widespread dissatisfaction with the services provided that Student Life is going to do something about it. I promise you they're not. Not without data, not without proof that students are not happy with the quality of care. It is important to do the review so that come November at the first Board of Trustees meeting when they are planning the 09-10 budget that the health center gets on the agenda, the health center will not get on the agenda without the aforementioned review of health center services to convince the trustees that this project is inherently more worthwhile of 10 million dollars than something else.

One last point, why wouldn't you take the opportunity of contract renewal to make change, when else are you going to that kind of substantive opportunity to make real change in a service so many students on campus do not like and because of that will not use. Rick Sawyer and Kathleen Maloney, the two point people on campus for hammering out this new contract need to be told how much students dislike the health center, how much they do not like using it, otherwise the school will be locked into another multi-year deal for a service their students do not want.

I'm not sure why the Justice is so out of touch with the student body on this issue, but I can safely say that there are plenty of students who are unhappy with our current health center. And, as our elected representatives, Student Union members are trying to change that. They should be supported for taking on issues that students are passionate about and for trying to make change. The fact that the Justice claims that there isn't enough justification for such an initiative only demonstrates the Justice's own ignorance on this issue. Let me ask the Justice Editors a question: how better do you suppose we gain student feedback than by mailbox stuffing, flyering and having a student forum? These are the appropriate ways that senators can obtain information. Ok, so the Union didn't complete its goal last year- the fact that it is being worked on and continued is laudable and we need to continue to bring about change until students are fully satisfied. I only hope that you have a better experience than I or my friends have had at the health center when you get sick. But even if not, you can always contact your Student Union Senators and I know that they will still be there, regardless, to listen and to advocate on your behalf.

According to The Justice, it is acceptable for the health center to have service that leads to "difficulty in obtaining a timely appointment with a doctor", poor "customer service", and "lack of privacy."

Apparently "quality of care" issues are unimportant as well. You know, we should just ignore these silly complaints like "misdiagnoses" and "lost prescriptions".

Really? You should get your heads checked -- I just wouldn't recommend at the health center.