The clinic is partially funded by a Tennessee Department of Health grant in the amount of $500,000.
Chattanooga State Community College has opened a no-cost health clinic on campus to provide various routine healthcare services to students. The free clinic is the first of its kind on a community college campus in the state and is funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Health.
According to an article on Chattanooga State Community College, Heather Montgomery, who serves as the director of Student Health Services and Wellness at the college, was quoted as saying of the new clinic, “Everybody needs annual checkups. A lot of people in the U.S. only go to a doctor when they’re sick, but there are a lot of things we can prevent. We want to make sure students have the resources to be their healthiest and best selves.”
The clinic will provide free services like physicals, women’s healthcare, pregnancy testing, mental health assistance, Covid and flu testing, and other basic health screenings. All students who are 18 and older can access these services for free, regardless of whether or not they have health insurance. International students must provide proof of health insurance, though they will still be allowed to access the clinic’s services free of charge after doing so. The clinic will provide referrals to other local healthcare organizations for students in need of services beyond its scope, and in the future, the clinic plans to offer vaccinations, as well.
The clinic is open from 9am to 3pm Monday through Thursday and from 9am to 1pm on Fridays.
Montgomery noted that the purpose of the clinic is to help provide preventative care to students as a way of ensuring they can continue their education. "Getting students back on track quickly, without worrying about how to pay for an urgent care visit, definitely takes away a major stressor. Our goal is to improve graduation rates by removing barriers.”
For more information about Chattanooga State Community College, visit the school’s website.