Dr. Jane Horton, director of Student Health and Counseling Services, leads a first-aid clinic as part of the Women in the Outdoors Month series of events.
W&L’s New Student Health and Counseling Center “Meeting the growing health needs of students requires an approach that brings together medical and counseling professionals to collaborate on care. This new facility has been designed not only to better coordinate care but also has dedicated space to support each function of the work we do. It will be an incredible asset for the university and, most importantly, for our students.” — Dr. Jane Horton, Director of Student Health and Counseling
In more than 30 years at Washington and Lee, Dr. Jane Horton has witnessed significant growth in student visits to the university’s health and counseling centers. From helping them form healthy habits that support academic success, to responding to illness and injury, caring for existing health conditions and addressing those that may develop, the Student Health and the University Counseling centers are indispensable assets to W&L. First-year students, in particular, are navigating a critical juncture in their development as they learn to manage their own health with less parental oversight. Students also arrive at Washington and Lee with a wide range of pre-existing
health needs: some are managing chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, eating disorders, ADHD, and substance use disorders, while others are coping with mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder. The Student Health Center averages 9,000 student visits each year — about half with a physician or physician’s assistant and half with a team of registered nurses who staff the center. These professionals evaluate and treat all types of acute illness and injury, provide preventative healthcare services and care for students with chronic health conditions, often in collaboration with home providers and specialists.
Enhanced Medical Facilities The expanded Student Health and Counseling Center will consolidate medical practice, counseling and psychiatry services in one location, supporting a team approach to caring for students in a setting that is easily accessible. The center will be located in a new building near first-year housing that will serve the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics in a separate part of the structure. The Health Center, which is completely handicapped-accessible, will have an entrance on the ground floor at the back of the new building to facilitate easy access for W&L Public Safety and other emergency vehicles.
The level of care W&L provides to students has been extremely important in public health emergencies such as the H1N1 virus It will feature outpatient clinical exam and treatment rooms for two nurses, two medical providers and a consultant, with dedicated space for administrative support, records, medications, supplies, vaccines and laboratory functions. There will be five infirmary rooms, each with a private bathroom, accommodating a total of seven beds for use when observation or overnight care are needed. A kitchen and lounge area/meeting room for staff will be a welcome addition, offering space for collaboration. W&L offers 24-hour services and an infirmary, around-the-clock access to health care that is critically important to student safety. There are typically 200 to 300 infirmary visits each year for students who need observation, treatment, nursing care or structure and support when their functional status is impaired from illness, acute intoxication or mental health issues. The infirmary offers a safe place for evaluation, treatment and transitions to or from other levels of medical care. Students released from the hospital after surgery can convalesce at the Student
Health Center until they can meet their care needs independently; students in acute emotional distress can stay in the infirmary during medical or counseling assessment care; and students treated in the nearby hospital emergency room with acute intoxication can be cared for in the Health Center until they are safe to care for themselves and can meet with a medical provider for substance use assessment and education before discharge.
The level of care W&L provides to students has been extremely important in public health emergencies such as the H1N1 virus in 2009 and in managing the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Student Health Center has administered in-person medical services to students throughout the pandemic and has performed hundreds of COVID-19 antigen tests onsite in 2020-21. These situations
Health and Counseling Center • Ground Floor Plan
s in 2009 and in managing the current COVID-19 pandemic. require proactive communication and education, interdepartmental cooperation and a responsive student health staff.
Counseling Center Facilities The Counseling Center will be located on two floors above the Health Center, connected by an elevator and stairs. A meeting
room will provide space for counseling professionals to work together, as well as for group therapy sessions, team training opportunities, and health and wellness programming. Adjacency to the Student Health Center will facilitate collaborative medical and mental health care. Increased office space will help the Counseling Center continue to support the Peer Counseling
Program and the Campus Recovery Program. It will also offer more opportunities for supervised field placements for graduate students. The Counseling Center typically receives more than 3,000 visits each year for individual or group sessions. In the three years prior to COVID-19, the center experienced a 33% increase in the number of students served. In the National College Health Assessment conducted by the American College Health Association, 35% of W&L students surveyed have been diagnosed or treated by a health care professional in the past year for a mental health condition and 11% indicated that they have seriously considered suicide. While these statistics seem alarming, today’s students — often referred to as the anxious generation — are more receptive to talking about mental health than their parents or grandparents. They are also more likely to seek out the care and support they need.
Health and Counseling Center • First Floor Plan
Health and Counseling Center Second Floor Plan
Health and Counseling Center areas of the building are in purple.
Call for Support For all these reasons and more, students and families look to the university to provide high-quality health and counseling services. Meeting these many needs is costly, and it requires additional staff with a wider range of expertise. As good health is an essential part of the W&L experience, the new Student Health and Counseling Center is a key investment in the well-being of each and every student.
Construction of the new Student Health and Counseling Center will require an investment of $5 million. Commitments may be paid over five years, and donors may choose from many recognition opportunities for capital gifts. To learn more about being a part of this important initiative, please contact the Office of University Development at 540-458-8410.
“Close collaboration between University Counseling and Student Health has been invaluable in early recognition and response to students in distress. Those with new onset mental health problems such as depression or panic attacks often present first to primary care providers, and our close working relationships help with a smooth and timely entry into care. This capacity for more intensive support and supervision often helps avert hospitalization or medical leave of absence that would otherwise interrupt a student’s education.” — Dr. Kirk Luder, University Psychiatrist
Office of University Development