By Guadalupe Santos-Sanchez, Managing Editor
The CNM Health Center is now called Counseling Services because medical services will no longer be available, said Brad Moore, director of communications and media relations.
The number of students accessing the services was declining and due to challenging budget conditions the school decided to remove the Student Health Services Center, he said.
“It is uncommon for community colleges to offer such services and we were the only school in the state who did,” he said.
The Health Center originally was designed for students who did not have any health care but now that everyone should have it with the Affordable Care Act, they decided that they should be helping students get to their own doctors and their own health care, said Phillip Bustos, vice president of student services.
The office will continue to provide information on outside medical services and on the Affordable Care Act, Moore said.
The Affordable Care Act should be available to everyone because it depends on a person’s income, Bustos said.
Students who used the medical services and want to get their medical records can email the contact center at contactcenter@cnm.edu or call at 505-224-3000.
The mental health services will be enhanced, Bustos said.
The Samaritan Counseling is on staff along with CNM employees to continue to provide up to eight counseling sessions per student, he said.
Students will be seen on a free basis for things such as mental health issues, counseling, and test anxiety, he said.
If students need more than eight sessions, counselors help students make arrangements for long term care that they can get through the Affordable Care Act or other insurance, he said.
Bustos said that they will be looking at the number of students using the services every month and make changes in accordance, so they might increase the number of visits per student.
The Wellness Center, or the gym, will still be open, he said.
It will be in part monitored by the Vet Success Center, which they are hoping will be set up in that same space, he said.
The Vet Success Center is in partnership with the New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System and it provides support services for veterans along with achievement coaching and advising but specifically for veterans, Bustos said.
The Vet Success Center helps veterans get readjusted to civilian and college life, he said.
The main thing that makes them different is that it is Vets helping Vets, and so all of the individuals that are employed there are veterans, he said.
“We intend to really continue to serve students, we’ll help them find any needs that they have with community resources as well as private doctors, so if they have any questions they’re welcome to still come to the old health center and ask any questions, we’ll try and help them however we can,” Bustos said.
The health center closed for intake walk-in services on October 31, 2015 and both of the health center employees retired, he said.
They had two student employees that they were hoping to keep employed in the new center, he said.