Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative component supports student health and well-being
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 18, 2022 – For decades, students, faculty and staff at Johnson C. Smith University have had convenient access to its on-campus health center. Thanks to a partnership with Atrium Health, JCSU officially opened an improved Health Center during an event on Thursday.
“Not only has Atrium Health been a faithful partner, but its continued interest in Johnson C. Smith University shows its dedication to helping us fulfill our mission of attracting, matriculating and graduating the brightest leaders of tomorrow, who will shine the JCSU light in their communities and in their professions around the world,” said JCSU President Clarence D. Armbrister.
The opening event featured comments from Armbrister as well as CEO and President of Atrium Health, Gene Woods; City Councilman for District 2, Malcolm Graham ’85; and Dr. Davida Haywood ’98, JCSU’s vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
The partnership is a part of Atrium Health’s commitment to the Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative. Half of the $3 million Atrium Health committed to JCSU will be used to staff and support the Health Center as part of a multi-year-agreement coordinated through Atrium Health Employer Services.
Graham said the partnership was more than two years in the making, but making sure the health of JCSU’s campus community was of utmost importance.
“Healthcare is a human right,” he said.
“Here at Atrium Health, we fundamentally believe that health, education and access to opportunity are the essential building blocks of a bright future for our community,” added Woods. “That’s why we are proud to partner with JCSU to provide top-notch health care to the University’s students, faculty and staff, as well as invest in a talent pipeline to educate and train students who dream of becoming health care professionals.”
Through Atrium Health the health center is expected to improve access to on-campus health care providers, lab services, chronic condition management and other services for the students, faculty and staff. It also aims to enhance the health literacy of everyone on campus, providing the knowledge and confidence to navigate the complexities of the health care system, especially for those students who are living independently for the first time.
The center is staffed by a nurse practitioner, registered nurse, certified medical assistant, dedicated client lead and a center operations manager. Nineteen-year JCSU Health Center leader Marian Jones, who holds a doctorate in public health, will remain the University’s director of health and wellness.
There will also be a new, limited, on-site pharmacy and over-the-counter medications offered, along with health coaching and education programming; health literacy resources for students, faculty and staff; health care navigation to appropriate off-site care and additional on-campus services when needed; and integrated electronic medical records to improve the continuity of care when on- or off-campus.
The center will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
