The Med Center Health at WKU Health Services will begin to offer services to the WKU campus and community on Jan. 16. 

Med Center Health is located at 1681 Normal Drive, which formerly housed Graves Gilbert Clinic. At the Board of Regents quarterly meeting, held on Dec. 8, both the health services contract and lease for Med Center were approved by unanimous votes to allow the center to occupy the Health Services Building. Graves Gilbert left campus on Dec. 9. 

“The change in clinic management will not affect health insurance plans or health care provider options available to WKU employees,” Lux said via email to the Herald on Dec. 1.

Mental health, women’s health, physical therapy and sexual wellness services are all available at the Med Center on campus.

“What we envision here is that, you know, patients that may already have an established relationship or want to establish a relationship with our APRN […],” Jat Mountjoy, vice president of physician services at Med Center Health, said. “There’s going to be an intimate link between those two daily communication etc, in order to facilitate that care. If anything does escalate, there’ll be a very easy way to transition that to our inpatient unit if necessary.”

The Med Center will be working in conjunction with the on-campus counseling center. 

“Our plan is to have a physician and a nurse practitioner here five days a week,” Mountjoy said. “In addition to that, we plan on having physical therapy on site here as well as in conjunction with the Preston Center on campus, in addition to having a nurse practitioner solely dedicated to behavioral health here on a part time basis.”

The center will also work with student organizations including the Intercultural Student Engagement Center and university departments to improve providing care to the WKU community through a joint advisory committee.

“50% of that committee will be represented by Med Center, and the other 50% will be from leadership at WKU,” Mountjoy said. “Our goal there […] is to provide chance, transparency, related to that have a closer finger on the pulse with a variety of stakeholders at Western to have a more solid feedback in reference to whether we need to change our ways or whether we need to have full time mental health services here.”

Med Center Health at WKU Health Services will be open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 270-745-CARE (2273), and walk-ins are welcome during the Med Center’s operating hours, according to a Med Center Health press release. 

“I take things personally,” Mountjoy said. “If you’re my patient, then I take ownership of how you’re going to do, so I just want everybody to feel like they’re welcome here, and we’re going to be very down to earth.”  

Editor-in-Chief Debra Murray can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @debramurrayy.