Photo by Artemis Chen ‘25
On April 5, 2022, senate hosted Cheryl Flynn, a member of College Health Services to answer questions about the department’s role at the College.
By Katie Goss ’23
Business Manager & News Editor
The April 5 Mount Holyoke College senate meeting started with a Land Acknowledgment read by Shula Mathew ’22. Afterward, the E-board reminded senators that all materials for SGA E-board and Class Board elections are due on April 10. Chair of Halls Sophia Jung ’22 also announced that anyone interested in participating in her study, the “Immersive Virtual Reality Psychology Study,” should reach out to her through email.
The floor then opened for any announcements, comments, questions or concerns that senators wanted to voice. Akosua Frimpong ’25, senator for the Pre-Health Association, announced that there would be a bone marrow registry drive from April 11-13. There will also be a discussion with a virtual panel of upperclassmen and pre-health alumni held on April 16 from 1:30-3 p.m. Chloe Berry ’24, senator for Liga Filipina, said an event would be hosted in the Blanchard Great Room from 5:30-7 p.m. on April 13 for community members to gather and learn about the Philippines and Liyang Western Massachusetts history. There will be a raffle held during the event, and donations will also be accepted to help families affected by Typhoon Rai and victims of the New Bataan 5 massacre. Maddie Millyan ’25, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member and senate liaison, reminded everyone that DIII week would be held this week from April 4-9.
The rest of the senate was dedicated to a Town Hall with Cheryl Flynn from the College Health Services.
Flynn reminded senators that the College’s Health Center does not manage the Testing Center and that they are separate. Flynn further clarified that the recent reduction in hours of the Testing Center is due to staffing shortages. The Health Center is responsible for clinical service, public health on campus, mental health care and promoting wellness through the “Be Well” program. Students should come to the Health Center if they feel sick, have chronic pain or need vaccinations, health screenings or gender-affirming care.
For transgender students, Flynn said that the Health Center can help continue or initiate hormone treatments, order lab tests, give primary care and also refer them to surgeons or other outside care that may be needed.
For accommodations for those with disabilities, the Health Center provides modifications for temporary disabilities, while Accessibility Services provides accommodations for those with permanent disabilities.
Flynn said that the best way to get in touch with the Health Center during all hours of the day is through the phone. Email is not the best option if students have any clinical or medical problems as it is not confidential and may take longer to respond. As of right now, only vaccination and immunization appointments can be made through the portal page.
Medication can only be delivered to campus if called in at Community Pharmacy, a Walgreens pharmacy in Springfield. However, this location may be moved in the future, and the College will send an update if anything changes.
The last issue brought up at the Town Hall was about insurance through the College. Flynn explained that all students at the College have health insurance, whether from home, through a prepaid plan or with the Student Health Insurance Plan. jce through the College, which operates through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Senate ended with Flynn letting senators know that there are positions available for student workers at the Health Center. There is a plan to increase the number of student workersand expand their duties in fall 2022.