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Spotlight of the Month
History of the Louisiana State University Student Health Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Click here to visit their Web site!
The Louisiana State University Student Health Center staff has a vision of students as active partners in maintaining their health. They strive toward a mission of providing, promoting and supporting services that integrate individual health, education for health, prevention of disease, clinical treatment for illness and public health responsibilities consistent with the educational mission of the University. This mission is the result of many years of dynamic growth from a relatively narrow mission of disease treatment to a broad one that embraces holistic care modalities and capitalizes on student learning opportunities. As this mission has evolved, so has the facility from an inpatient hospital focusing on reactive treatment to an outpatient facility promoting health, wellness and student education.
The LSU Student Health Service was organized in 1895 in a new building north of Pentagon Barracks Building "B" of the United States Army Post, the site of the present Louisiana State Capitol Building. The LSU Board of Supervisors' purpose in creating the Student Health Service was for the care of the sick. A surgeon, assisted by a hospital steward and nurses, served students at prescribed times. In 1905, the hospital was transferred to a converted mess hall with a bed capacity of 20.
In 1925, the campus moved to its present location, and the Student Health Services was housed in a temporary wooden structure. A new LSU Student Hospital, built in 1937, consisting of an infirmary with an out-patient clinic, laboratory, x-ray, pharmacy, a diet kitchen, and a 100-bed hospital with operating rooms. In the late 1940s, the Student Health Service shifted its emphasis to the development of out-patient services with short-term hospitalization for minor illnesses to encourage students to attend classes rather than being hospitalized.
In 1974, the in-patient service at the Student Health Service was closed, retaining only four beds for day care observation. In 1998 observation beds were reduced by two. The administrative structure was modified in 1975 to include an Administrative Director, a Medical Chief of Staff, and a Clinical Director for Mental Health Services. About that time, the Diet Service was moved from the facility to Residential Food Services. In 1976, the Student Health Services was changed from a state-supported institution to that of a self-supporting auxiliary unit funded by student health fees assessed during registration. Additional fees were generated from ancillary charges for x-rays, laboratory, pharmacy, and mental health services.
In 1984, the name was changed to the Student Health Center. A year later in 1985, the Wellness Education Department was created, completing the holistic care model.
In addition to the general clinic staff, new specialists were added over the years. Currently, part-time specialty areas are as follows: orthopedics, ophthalmology, dental screening, dermatology (1976), and ear, nose and throat (1980). A full-time gynecologist was employed in 1979 and an additional part-time gynecologist was employed in 2002. Psychiatric services were increased in 1999. Between 1995 and 2005, there was a ten-year, systematic renovation of the entire building, including the installation of new windows and a new elevator, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
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