Students petition for better health coverage, staff

Stephanie Smith, a graduate student from Baton Rouge fed up with the staffing of the Baranco Hill Student Health Center, has began circulating a petition to increase student health fees in an effort to have Southern University hire more center staff and provide better insurance coverage.
“There is a shortage of staff …only one full time physician is available to serve 10,000 students,” Smith said. “I’d prefer to pay more on health costs and less on extra-curricular activities. The current school insurance is not enough.”
Smith said she brought to the attention of the Center’s staff that students pay more for athletic fees than health fees.
“What’s the use of these extracurricular activities when a student is sick and can’t get adequate help,” Smith said.
Wanda Warner, nurse manager for the center said she would fully support having the health fee increased so students could receive better care.
“Students pay $40 every semester for health fees and its been the same since 1996. However, health care has increased 200 percent since that time,” Warner said. “That $40 must cover medicines, salaries, and insurance. It is not enough to suffice for health care.”
Ebbra Gorbon, an elementary education major from New Orleans, said she and eight other students needed physicals to volunteer for Jumpstart, a tutoring program. She said they had to pay up to $35 for the physicals.
“They [the center] told us that we couldn’t get the physicals because we weren’t athletes and there’s not enough staff for every student to get physicals,” Gonor said.
An increase in the fees would mean that students will pay $67 for the fall and spring semesters and $47 for the summer. Yet, some feel that its not enough while others like Warner, who must deal with the center running out of medicines mid-semester, think the increase would at least be a good start.
Peter Dawson, director of student health services, said the increase would be very minimal.
“The increase would help keep the center from operating in the red,” Dawson said.
There will be a Student Government Association meeting on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. At that meeting Dawson, Warner and Smith will present the proposal to the student senate. If the senate approves the increase it will be put on a spring referendum for the student body to vote on.
“Usually when other universities need a health increase they usually don’t have to go through the students,” Warner said. “The university goes straight to the administration and they increase the fees based on inflation.”
Smith said she would like to see Dr. Ryan Pasternak and others doctors that formally worked with the center, return in residence because she believes the student doctor ratio is dangerously uneven.