New Health Facility Opens to Hood Students

By Laura Spencer, Editor-in-Chief

 Frederick Region-al Health Systems to provide health services to better meet students’ needs through partnership with Hood College.

A recently opened FMH facility located on 7th Street will provide students with services including primary care, urgent care, health and well-ness, mental health, and sports physicals. Monocacy Health Partners (Frederick Regional Health Sys-tem’s physician group) will be providing the services at this facility. “I’m always sick so absolutely, I’ll use [the FMH facility],” said Maria Bernal, a current Hood student. College employees will have access to the urgent care and men-tal health services as well. The services come at a small fee, generally covered by health insurance. “Access to health and wellness service is one of the most im-portant things we can provide our students,” said President Andrea Chapdelaine in a Hood news release. Students have de-veloped mixed opinions about the facility already.

“I heard there were concerns [about the FMH facility] because they’re not keeping medicine there, and they have to refer you to somewhere else. So, it’s not all free like it normally was,” said Allie Backos, a cur-rent Hood student.

The proximity of the facility appears to be extremely convenient for students here on campus. The facili-ty is close enough to campus for students to walk there if they need to.

“If I need to use it, it’s close to the college and easy walking distance,” said Jillian Alverson, a current Hood student. “And it’s closer to the athlet-ic center, I think a lot of those students will use it more.”

Rumors on campus suggest that the walk may become even eas-ier.

Backos said,“[-Hood’s staff members] said they were going to open that gate over there”-Backos pointed to the back of Hood’s campus towards 7th Street-“I don’t know if that’s true, but it would be a lot more convenient than walk-ing all the way across campus, then around, but it’s not terrible.”

The partnership be-tween the college and FRHS will also pro-vide a practicum site for students pursuing a master’s in clinical counseling.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Hood College, our neigh-bor and communi-ty partner, to ensure that staff and college students have access to the care they need. They are part of the community we serve,” Thomas A. Kleinhan-zl, president and CEO of Frederick Regional Health System, said in the release.

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