WSU’s Student Health Centers has stopped accepting physical cash payments for over the counter medication and at the receptionist desk in an effort to ensure resources are being used and spent wisely, as of Nov. 1.

This decision to stop taking currency payments at the center came after a meeting with SHC staff and Information Technology associates where the process of handling cash was identified as an area for improvement.

“The small amount of cash that we take in is simply not enough to justify the time spent complying with cash handling requirements,” said the counseling, health and wellness Executive Director Dianna Abel, who spearheaded this decision alongside the approval of her supervisor, Dean of Students Jeff Hurst. “We want to spend our time helping students, not processing cash.”

When accessing the SHC’s services, students don’t have to pay out of pocket because the costs incurred are usually covered by student fees to attend WSU. However, there are some services at the center that require small fees.

As the department transitioned into a cash-free environment, services and purchases needing payments can be made using credit or a topped-up Wildcat card.

“Sometimes I spend a lot of time with deposits, mainly because I get interrupted by patients coming into the office and phone calls,” Administrative Office Assistant Colette Cooper, who has been employed with the SHC for 26 years, said.

With the Health Center currently only accepting electronic payments, all transactions will be collected by the credit and Wildcat merchant machines. These are automatically forwarded directly to WSU’s Cashiers Office for record purposes.

Due to this implemented system, Cooper expressed a sigh of relief since she no longer has to handle funds or execute the time-consuming, daily task of balancing both the cash and card payments for the deposits manually. This is to ensure all the sums of money students pay are equivalent to the figures represented on their accounts in the computer.

Daisy Rodriguez, a freshman and health sciences major at WSU, previously received a free flu shot from the SHC. She recognized the potential benefit of the new payment method.

“It will be very beneficial considering that I never carry money. I just use credit cards,” Rodriguez said.

For faculty and staff accessing the services of the Health Center, this new way of payment will also apply.