VIU clinic sees more than 1k students
NANAIMO — Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus has seen students numbering in the high thousands use their clinic since it opened.
Coming up to their second anniversary in May, Dr. Carrie Chassels, executive director of student affairs, said they knew their clinic would fill a demand but were surprised by the numbers.
“It means students who would have otherwise neglected their health and not sought medical care, or would have made use of emergency services and caused some delays there, are getting the care they need right here on campus,” she said. “Our students have told us that without the clinic on campus they likely wouldn’t have sought treatment.”
The clinic is staffed by two full-time nurse practitioners, a general practitioner who visits once a week and a psychiatrist once a month. The nurses see between 20 and 30 patients a day.