A woman in Leverett House who had her navelring ripped out in a bike accident this fall saysgetting adequate treatment required persistence.
Concerned about infection after the area aroundthe injury swelled, she saw a nurse at UHS.
The student says the nurse told her "it wasn'ta big deal," and did not offer treatment.
Feeling "weird" about being turned away, shemade another visit and saw the same nurse. For asecond time, she says she was told the wound didnot need treatment.
Last week, the student, who is a varsityathlete, visited UHS for a third time.
She says because she felt staff would not lether see a doctor during her first two visits, shelied, telling them her trainer had told her shemust.
The student said the doctor she saw--whom shedescribes as "really, really nice"--diagnosed aninfection and told her "she didn't know why thenurse had sent [her] home twice because it wasobviously infected."
Another student says she believes UHS createsbarriers to care. Sarah M. Demers '99--who has arare blood disease that requires extreme vigilanceto possible infections--went to UHS the spring ofher sophomore year feeling feverish.
Although she says she explained her chroniccondition and asked to see a physician, Demerssays she was dismissed. She says a receptionistasked her to repeat the name of her condition andthen said, "You pronounced that very well. How'bout you come back tomorrow at 2?"
"My frustration was that she was socondescending towards me," Demers says.
Rosenthal says Demers' description of herexperience does not reflect UHS policy. Studentscan get an appointment the same day if they wish,he says.
"Anybody who wants to see a physician or aclinician can see one," Rosenthal says.
Meeting Students' Needs
While Rosenthal readily acknowledges "we canalways do better," officials say structures are inplace to represent students' interests.
Kathleen Dias, the patient advocate isdesignated as a liaison between students and UHSdoctors and administrators.
Dias says UHS welcomes patients' feedback andpoints to several changes that have been made inthe past few years in response to requests.
UHS has added routine obstetrical care anddental care at the Holyoke Center, andconfidential HIV testing and billing procedures,she says.
"Sometimes people think that if they complain,their complaints are not taken seriously, butthat's not true," Dias says. "We do try to resolveindividuals' complaints and complaints of a moresystemic nature."