Our Lady of the Lake will assume management of the LSU Student Health Center in January prompting questions as to what – if any – changes will result when a Catholic health organization takes over a public university medical clinic.
The move comes as part of the partnership between Our Lady of the Lake (OLOL) and LSU announced in February, LSU spokesperson Ernie Ballard explained. At the time, Our Lady of the Lake announced a $245 million donation to the university to be spread out over 10 years, but details regarding the takeover of the student health center have not yet been publicized.
The LSU Student Health Center offers a wide range of medical services to LSU students, including primary care physicians, diagnostics, mental health services and select specialty services like OB-GYNs.
A spokesperson for Our Lady of the Lake said that all current services offered by the student health center, including reproductive healthcare, will be maintained.
The clinic currently offers a limited range of reproductive healthcare services, including contraceptive consulting and implementation, including intrauterine device placement procedures, pregnancy testing and counseling, and sexually transmitted disease education, testing and treatment.
It is not yet clear what the transition of management means for what health insurance plans the clinic accepts. The Student Health Center website indicates the clinic currently accepts most U.S. healthcare plans. An OLOL spokesperson said details on insurance are still being ironed out between Our Lady of the Lake and LSU.
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Ballard said that for students, nothing will change in the way care is handled. No current programs at the facility will be eliminated, he said.
“Our Lady of the Lake will partner with LSU to build upon existing on-campus offerings, cultivating a rich network of primary, mental, and specialty care; providing extensive wraparound services related to wellness, eating disorders, and lifelong health; and offering an evolving digital healthcare experience backed by their state-of-the-art electronic medical record, telehealth capabilities, and additional investments in creating on-demand care tailored to integrate seamlessly into LSU students’ lives,” Ballard said in an email.
Current clinic staff, and those hired before the official transition in January, will remain LSU employees. Anyone hired after that will be an Our Lady of the Lake employee.
Discovered on: 2022-08-31 19:25:19
Source: LSU clinic transitions to OLOL management; what about reproductive health?
