Jackson puts students’ health first

“The health of our students is a priority!”
This is the message Southern University Baton Rouge Chancellor Edward Jackson wants the university’s students to know in the wake of the failed health referendum, which would have meant more monies toward a better student health center.
“We (the administration) will never allow our infirmary to not be fully capable to service our students,” Jackson said.
After reading an article published in The Southern DIGEST on Tues. April 4, in which student health center Director Dr. Peter E. Dawson and Nurse Manager Wanda Warner expressed their disappointment with the failure of a health referendum, which could have meant better service for disgruntled SU students, Jackson made a visit the following morning to speak with Dawson and Warner about the health center’s future despite its’ ability to receive a majority vote from the student body during last week’s Student Government Elections.
Jackson, who has made the student health center one of his top priorities since his appointment as chancellor eight years ago, said that student health is one of his primary interest, and he wants to assure everyone that money is available.
“We’ll find ways to make it work,” Jackson said. “Students don’t have to worry about the medical services not being first class because the referendum didn’t pass.”
In the previously published article, Warner said the health center frequently ran out of medicines, but Jackson said that would never happen again.
“I have instructed them to deliver all requisitions for medicine directly to me and I will get it,” he said. “There will never be a situation where there is not enough medicine for students.”
Warner also said the wait would continue to be longer due to lack of staff, however Jackson feels the size of the staff is adequate.
“They should not have long waits,” he said. “It shouldn’t take you any longer to see a physician there than it does in the city.”
Jackson urges students to, “call my office and let me know if they are having problems seeing a physician.”
Erin Williams, a senior mass communication major from Detroit, and frequent visitor of the health center, said the chancellor’s involvement in student health says a lot about his concern towards SU students.
“It makes me feel like he really cares about the students,” Williams said. “He’s taking action.”
According to Jackson, there will be a $300,000 expansion to the health center to provide more space for the staff, and to add beds so that students may receive overnight care.
Jackson also said over $500,000 is being allocated for the building of a new Student Counseling Center as well.
“Health care is one of my primary interest on this campus,” Jackson said. “We gotta work harder to make sure the service remains.”