Northwind is proud to support student health centers. The student health center is a unique environment. Serving a very large population within a very narrow geography, student health professionals have to be flexible in their approach to care and get to know their patients in very short order. Some student health centers focus on treating a very general conditions at the most basic level; the school nurse model. Other student health centers are mini-hospitals offering a variety of outpatient procedures to their large patient population. The student health center is managed by nurses operating under the direction of a Medical Director. Smaller centers may be staffed by one nurse and an assistant; larger centers may have a dozen or more nurses, multiple physicians and a support staff.
Our student health center customers are mid-sized clinics that want to provide the convenience of on site medications to their patients without the cost of opening a full-blown pharmacy. We support clinics that offer six medications as well as clinics offering 40 or 50 medications. Many student health centers charge their students a co-pay for services while others include health services as part of a “student services” fee paid with tuition. From dispensing birth control to antibiotics, these clinics become a life support center for their student patients.
Many student health centers are members of the American College Health Association. The ACHA supports Student Health Centers with professional development opportunities, information resources, a magazine and an annual meeting. The ACHA also bridges Federal health initiatives and college health by facilitating communication of trends and data to student health centers. Almost all of our student health center customers belong to the ACHA.
Northwind Pharmaceuticals supports student health centers by enabling pharmaceutical dispensing and providing medical supplies. We provision these clinics with prepackaged pharmaceuticals, lotions/creams/ointments, injectables, liquid medications, medical supplies, drug information, specialty packaging options, labeling and dispensing software. Some of our clinic customers work with third party payers for reimbursement while many others focus on cash pay or no-charge services to the patients. We work to support their efforts by making ordering easy, sharing information and delivering within expected time frames.
The valuable service provided by student health centers ensures quality care for our student population. Student health centers offer a wonderful extension of hometown primary care as these students transition to full independence.
