In an effort to provide more college students with health care access, San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton has partnered with Community Medical Centers, a nonprofit, to open their first health clinic on campus for students and their dependent children to address all of their health needs.
As of Tuesday, the center has helped 133 people within a week of its on-campus opening at the Locke Center.
“It’s common sense, if students are hungry or they are sick … or their basic needs are not being met, then it’s going to be that much harder for them to finish their education and stay in school,” said Alex Breitler, director of marketing and communications at Delta College.
The health center will be operated by Community Medical Centers workers who will offer primary care including immunization and health screenings, birth control, family planning, STD testing and treatment as well as behavioral health services such as individual counseling, psychiatric treatment and care in addition to various other services.
Students and children visiting the center can have their medical fees paid for by their insurance. Community Medical Centers will offer sliding fee discounts based on income and insurance coverage. However, Community Medical Centers officials said they are committed to serving students, regardless of their ability to pay.
Christine Noguera, CEO of Community Medical Centers, said the partnership was a right match because thousands of Delta College students are low-income, which is one of the target populations her center aims to help.
She said for students with multiple obligations and priorities outside of school, such as being parents or working, having a health center on campus can allow them to conveniently seek care.
“Students have a very busy life. . . and they tend to overlook their own health,” Noguera said. “By making health care more accessible, our goal is to improve their overall health outcomes as a way of supporting their education.”
According to Breitler, Delta College serves over 20,000 students in a year, and many of those students are parents, so he hopes the health center will be of use to students and their children.
The health center will be open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.
More information on the center can be found at https://www.deltacollege.edu/healthcenter.