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Spotlight of the Month
Do you have a school project or a story you would like to spotlight? If so, contact Jo Antreasian, at jantreas@unm.edu.
UCO HEALTH SERVICES BUILDS ON PAST TO BETTER PROVIDE FOR STUDENTS
"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon." - Doug Larson
Health is not attractive and popular in most social circles, but at the University of Central Oklahoma Wellness Center (UCO), the Department of Health Services strives to make healthy things smell a little bit better.
Located in Edmond, Okla., UCO was founded in 1890 and is the state's oldest institution of higher learning and has a current enrollment of over 15,000 students. The university has long tradition of producing graduates who are highly intelligent, great leaders, professionally ready, and UCO Health Services aims to add "healthy" to that list.
For 53 Years, UCO Health Services has adapted their health and wellness programs fit the needs of the students, faculty and staff. Originally, Health Services was a small clinic with only a few employees and a part-time physician, but an expanding university brought the need to expand the clinic.
In 2003, The UCO Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art 60,000 square-foot health and fitness center, was built. UCO Health Services moved their operation to the building.
Since, the UCO Health Services has taken advantage of the opportunity to expand on their current programs and services, or to create new ones, to best promote health across the university.
In 2007 the UCO Pharmacy was added to the Wellness Center. The UCO Pharmacy allows students to have their prescriptions filled by the full-time pharmacist. Also, the pharmacy allows the UCO community to buy over-the-counter medication.
In 2008, UCO Health Services joined the current Wellness Center staff to provide more comprehensive health and wellness opportunities to the campus. Since the merger, the UCO Health Services manages many campus-wide health promotion and fitness programs including the UCO Pharmacy, UCO Health Center, UCO Peer Educators, UCO Healthy Campus, group fitness, and personal training.
Today, the UCO Health Center has a staff of eight, including a full time physician and three nurses. The clinic allows students, faculty and staff the ability to receive acute medical attention and routine care. The clinic also does laboratory testing and immunizations.
UCO Healthy Campus is a community wide program that encourages health through strategic health promotion as well as partnerships with academic departments on campus. UCO Healthy Campus also works with student organizations to recognize health programs in the organized student government as well as many other arenas on campus.
The UCO Peer Educators facilitate fun, interactive health and wellness programs on a variety of topics across campus and throughout the community.
These programs combined with an enthusiastic staff have allowed UCO Health Services to share their health and wellness message across the university. With time and patience, maybe everyone may see healthy things "smell" good as well.
For more information on UCO Wellness Center programs, please contact Ryan Wilson at (405) 973-3127 or rwilson18@uco.edu.
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