Category | News

Non-profit focuses on student healthcare

Published on March 11, 2008 by The Sentinel

    With the goal of aiming to raise awareness of health and wellness
issues for college students, the Center for Student Health and Life
(CSHAL) publicly announced its formation on Feb. 13, 2008.  This
non-profit organization is dedicated to developing education on core
topics in student health, including affordable and efficient
healthcare, improvements in mental healthcare, awareness and prevention
of eating disorders, behavioral disorders, along with other wellness
and life issues.

    CSHAL is the first non-profit organization completely committed to student health issues; one of CSHAL’s founding board members Serena Unrein said in an interview, “There is no other national organization like CSHAL today, so it fills a real vacuum.  We are glad that the organization is involving students in a meaningful way, and that CSHAL will raise awareness of the health issues students face in college.”

    Having published the findings of a survey conducted to students over the Facebook social network, CSHAL’s founding Executive Director Jon Englund said, “We are determined to make a positive difference in the health and wellness of college students… [and] tackle health and wellness issues in an open and transparent way, directly involving students from day one and continually soliciting student input via surveys, our Web site and through direct communication.”

    The survey, which included 500 students from more than 31 universities, focused on three main goals for CSHAL:  understanding how and why students interact with their health center, identifying new approaches and technologies that students themselves feel would improve this interaction, and hearing from students about their own perspectives on the health and wellness issues they face today.

    Among the first articles posted in the blog section of CSHAL’s Web site, an article addressing prescription drug purchases over the Internet warns students of trusting Internet drug sellers, who, according to a doctor writing on the safemedicines.org blog, “may simply be conmen who make money off your credit card—and in return sell you fake, poisonous, or ineffective drugs.” 

    Another post quotes President of Simmons College Susan C. Scrimshaw, who writes, “The research is irrefutable that healthy bodies improve learning.  Colleges can and should be incubators for young adults for good health practices, educating and motivating students about the best choices for a healthy ‘mind and body’ lifestyle to benefit them and their future families.” The Web site also posts links to student health survey results as well as other sites that help students deal with finals and stress.

    With the emerging prevalence of major health issues ranging from flu epidemics to traces of pharmaceutical drugs found in drinking water, the formation of an organization committed to the wellness of students is timely. Take advantage of CSHAL by looking for articles and information on student health issues at cshal.org .