Weber State University’s student senate met on April 3, the same morning that a jarring announcement rattled WSU’s student body. Students were sent an email from WSU announcing that the Student Health Center would stop seeing new patients effective immediately.

Staff at the SHC were taken equally by surprise by the news of its closure, with the change having been communicated to them during an early morning meeting only hours before the email was sent out.

Effective immediately, the Ogden Clinic on Harrison Boulevard will handle the healthcare services provided to WSU students through the funds allocated by the university through student fees.

Though a change in disbursement of student health care has been a topic of discussion the student senate was made aware of in September, little has been shared by the administration to keep the student body updated regarding the possible change.

During a senate meeting that took place on Sept. 26, then-interim VP and Dean of Students Jeff Hurst said WSU’s decision to consider outsourcing student health care came with the intention to expand the suite of medical services WSU is able to provide to students.

Daniel Kilcrease, executive director of Student Auxiliaries, announced to the student senators that the SHC’s services would be discontinued in lieu of Ogden Clinic now being the provider of healthcare for WSU’s students. The entirety of the meeting was spent discussing these changes.

Kilcrease said the benefits of outsourcing student healthcare to Ogden Clinic would provide access to longer hours of operation and the improved ability to provide healthcare to WSU students off-campus through Telehealth services.

After Kilcrease’s announcement, the room was opened up to both the public and the senators for questions.

WSU student Genesis Vargas asked how the medical services that had been provided to students by the SHC would compare to what would be available through Ogden Clinic.

“Hopefully, they are similar,” Kilcrease said.

Kilcrease added that he hopes the services provided by Ogden Clinic are comparable to the services that were previously provided through the SHC.

To the dismay of both the members of the public who attended the meeting and the student senators, Kilcrease was unable to provide details on the full range of services that would be provided free of charge to students through Ogden Clinic.

When asked if Ogden Clinic would be able to provide medical services that go beyond the classification of basic medical needs at a discounted price, like the SHC often did, Kilcrease said he wasn’t certain what sort of discounted medical services would be available to students through Ogden Clinic.

The SHC provided students with access to an on-site pharmacy that provided students with both over-the-counter and prescription medicines at a discounted price. Kilcrease said Ogden Clinic couldn’t guarantee the same services, and students would be on their own to find pharmaceutical care that works for their individual budgets.

“There is a pharmacy at the Ogden Clinic, but it is not necessarily associated with the Ogden Clinic,” Kilcrease said. “It would be more that pharmaceutical services would be where students can find them best — ‘GoodRx’ and places like that.”

Several student senators voiced concern over the lack of transparency the administration demonstrated while changing how WSU students would be able to access the healthcare that their student fees have historically entitled them to.

One concern veteran student senator Jessica Dye brought up was that accessing Ogden Clinic may prove challenging to those who have physical disabilities, due to potentially challenging terrain that includes a hill leading up to the clinic.

Due to the number of concerns brought up during the senate meeting regarding WSU’s decision to outsource student healthcare to Ogden Clinic, Kilcrease said he would return during the following week’s senate meeting to address further concerns.

WSU students who have questions or concerns regarding their access to healthcare through the university are encouraged to attend the next senate meeting on April 10, at 2:30 p.m. in room 404 in the Shepherd Union Building.