By Kyle Huff/reporter

Health services at TCC does more than hand out bandages and aspirin.

Health services offices reside on all campuses, and the staffs sponsor health-related fairs and events.

The goal for health services, NE Campus coordinator Patricia Marling said, is to provide students with the necessary medications, food or resources so the student can stay in school.

“The students need to know that health services has a lot to offer and many different ways to do so,” she said. “Every student that comes into health services goes away learning something because of our health counseling: monitoring of weight, blood pressure, blood glucose for diabetes and more.”

Every TCC campus health center is equipped with licensed registered nurses who have professional clinical experience, NW health services coordinator Thoy Fongsamouth said.

“The health centers have the amenities necessary to provide several services,” she said. “They will treat minor injuries or illnesses with over-the-counter medications. They offer health screenings, and they can give referrals for further advanced care at no cost to the student or faculty member.”

Health services is not limited to office visits. Nurses respond to emergency-related situations on the campuses and will arrange for an ambulance as needed. They also have a safety committee responsible for the auto external defibrillators and the EvacTrac wheelchairs used in case of emergency evacuations.

TR registered nurse Angela Virgin said all the health centers spread the word about health education, so they host health fairs and several community outreach programs: blood drives, AIDS tests and several other services throughout the campuses during the year.

“TR Campus will host its health fair 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 23, and the event will consist of several vendors who come in and provide free health services,” she said. “The same day the health fair comes to TR Campus, Carter BloodCare will hold a blood drive 9 a.m.-4 p.m.”

The health fairs normally bring about 30 different vendors, and with all the services they provide, Marling said they are like a mini-physical.

Fongsamouth said she expects to continue teaching CPR classes on NW.

“The class [Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers] is a four-hour class, and the certification comes from the American Heart Association,” she said.

Marling said Student Health 101 is a student resource that provides more than physical health information. It also tells how to be a better student.

“Student Health 101 is a free online magazine that can be found on TCC’s health services Web page and can be sent to the person’s email monthly,” she said. “Students that have found and used this magazine have had a lot of success because it teaches how to write papers, create resumes and explains what professors expect of students.”

TCC health services also help students find information about health insurance.

“We try to give students information on health insurance, but we do it without placing any kind of bias or opinion in the information we give,” Marling said.