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22 | Thursday, November 16, 2006 | The Red & Black | Please say you saw us in Athens Living UHC has many services The UHC is ‘like the Taj Mahal of health centers’ By CHELSEA COOK For The Red & Black When Allison Bass, a freshman from Miami, came down with a cold, she didn’t think much of it. But as her symptoms got increasingly worse, she decided she should make a trek to the University Health Center. When she arrived, she discovered the epit ome of the center’s reputation: seemingly endless lines, a waiting room full of coughing and sneezing and the fear of picking up someone else’s bad luck. But the University Health Center doesn’t have to have such negative connotations. According to Liz Rachun, the center’s health communications coordinator, many University students don’t know what they’re missing. “(The University)’s health center is like the Taj Mahal of health centers,” Rachun said. While approximately 85 percent of stu dents take advantage of the University’s health center Rachun and other Health Center employees believe that a lot of stu dents don’t know the extent of the health center’s services. The University’s Dental Clinic is the most underutilized resource. “I’ve considered going there to get my teeth cleaned, but I didn’t end up going because I went home to my regular dentist,” said Justin Ralph, a senior from Roswell. Convenience is one of the Health Center’s main objectives when serving students. “Who wants to spend their vacation time or their time at home at the dentist?” Rachun said. “Very few students realize that we can take care of things like teeth cleaning here.” The dental clinic offers several other serv ices such as filling and crown restoratives— even teeth whitening. Stressed out from a week of exams? How about a massage? Make an appointment through the center’s physical therapy branch, it’s more affordable than going to a spa with rates around $30 for one half hour and $50 for an hour. Other departments within the Health Center include the allergy clinic, counseling and psychiatric services, sports medicine, travel medicine and the women’s clinic. In the travel medicine clinic, students who plan to study abroad can obtain the necessary vaccinations before leaving the country. This service is also offered to the general public. In the women’s clinic, female students can find the same services that would be found at their home doctor. “We used to have to send students to pri vate gynecologists for certain treatments and exams, but we can now do them in- house,” Rachun said. “(The Women’s Clinic) also does anonymous HIV testing.” The Health Center is also a valuable resource to students who are conscious of family planning. “We administer a lot of Emergency Contraceptives and the student insurance plan covers it as well as birth control pills,” Rachun said. The student insurance plan, administered by Pearce & Pearce, Inc. is available for pur chase by any University student if they are not already insured. Because the Health Center is funded by student fees, it makes a large effort to include students their decision making. The Student Health Advisory Committee, 16 stu dents who act as a liaison between the administration and the student body are open to any ideas from students on how to improve the health center. Suggestions include a dermatology and optometry program. But these requests are in the foreseeable future. If the Board of Regents approves, University President Michael Adams and the Health Center plan to begin an expansion next year that will not only provide a bigger space, but an even wider range of services, including optometry for students. “We’re here for one reason only,” Rachun said, “to serve our students.” BEADS: Classes ► From Page 19 classes. She and a few teachers instruct classes such as basic bead-stringing and wire-wrap- ping, as well as bracelet and earring-making. Lentini also wants to add more offer an ‘escape’ instructors and a ring-making class in the future. “I want to share my love for beading,” Lentini said. “It’s a good release and escape from everyday life. I think everyone could be in love with beads.”