University Health Services (UHS) is often a favorite target of student criticism, but in a small first-floor office in the Holyoke Center, someone is waiting eagerly to hear such complaints.

Patient Advocate Linda C. Cannon plays a unique role at UHS—the official health care provider for thousands of students and Harvard employees.

She will never write a prescription, check your pulse or draw blood—although, if you stop by her office, she may offer you a piece of candy.

Her sole purpose at UHS is to gather patients’ comments and concerns and bring them to the attention of UHS decision-makers.

She focuses on patient satisfaction rather than physical health or well-being. She fields complaints—and the occasional compliment—from patients and works with the UHS staff to correct problems.

With her slight Boston accent, Cannon’s voice is one of the few able to directly influence decision-makers as she divides her time between organizational meetings and private discussions with concerned patients.

Cannon responds to more than 700 complaints each year by phone, email or in person. All together, Cannon’s many hats—working with students and staff alike—make for a long workday. She normally works 10- to 11-hour shifts and often eats lunch at her desk.

Each Monday at 1 p.m., Cannon has a confidential meeting with students on the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) and discusses the problems she and the student representatives have had brought to their attention over the past week.

Most of their agenda each week comes from comment cards left in suggestion boxes throughout UHS—and the topics of discussion can encompass almost any aspect of health care.

“People see my role as just constant complaining,” she says. “But it’s very gratifying because at the end of the day, if I’m able to help one or two or more people, it’s an incredible high.”

While some problems are difficult to solve, many issues can be easily fixed once Cannon has the details of the situation.

For instance, she cites the case of a door in the UHS physical therapy department. When a patient complained about the difficulty of opening the door with a normal handle, Cannon took the issue to her boss, UHS Director David R. Rosenthal ’59, who got a push button installed.

More complicated problems at UHS, though, may take more time to work out.

“There are things we can’t do just like any place.” Cannon says.

Cannon says she especially appreciates the new perspective that the students bring to the table. “I love working with [SHAC].”