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Harvard University Health Services reported an approximately 17 percent increase in patient visits in 2024, according to the department’s annual report published last month.

According to the report, HUHS had 138,937 patient visits last year — nearly 20,000 more than in 2023. HUHS declined to comment on why this significant increase occurred.

Counseling and Mental Health Services saw a 2.9 percent decrease in visits from last year. To accommodate more students and improve wait times after previous complaints, Harvard launched TimelyCare, a teletherapy counseling platform to provide further support to students in need, in fall 2022.

HUHS reported that CAMHS “increased outreach” to students and continued to reduce wait times for provider consultations. According to the report, students were able to see a provider one to two days after they requested an appointment.

Last year, 19,815 students made visits through CAMHS and 6,678 visits were made through TimelyCare.

Total telehealth visits, which made up 18 percent of total appointments, rose from around 24,000 to around 25,000 visits. The increase follows a downturn in 2023, when telehealth visits decreased by 2,880 visits.

With 12 departments, HUHS offers health education, immunizations, ambulatory medical care, massage and acupuncture, and behavioral and mental health services. As part of the Center for Wellness and Health Promotion, the department provided 4,917 hours of massage, 1,908 hours of acupuncture, and 235 movement classes last year.

2024 also marked an expansion of core HUHS services.

The HUHS Behavioral Health Department, which specializes in mental health and medication management needs saw a total of 8,476 visits — a 10 percent increase from last year. The department also expanded its group therapy offerings, establishing four new groups: Issues Affecting African American Women, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group, Men & Relationships, and Senior/Retiree Group.

This platform, along with CAMHS, helps provide accessible and efficient mental health care to students.

In addition to mental health services, 2024 was the first year that Harvard hosted a week-long flu clinic in the Harvard Commons at Smith Campus Center. This five-day clinic led to the delivery of 10,467 flu vaccinations.

There were also flu clinics held at Harvard Law School and Harvard’s Longwood medical campus, which increased total flu vaccinations to 14,722 for the 2023-2024 season.

Giang T. Nguyen, the executive director of HUHS, expressed his enthusiasm about the Service’s progress in 2024.

“This year HUHS celebrated 125 years — how monumental it has been to be entrusted with the care of our many Harvard community members for the past century and a quarter,” Nguyen wrote in the report.

“During the past year, we have continued to work on enhancing our services and resources while strengthening our foundational mission, vision and values,” he added.

Nguyen also described his excitement in regard to the future steps HUHS are going to take.

“As HUHS continues to evolve to meet the needs of our patients we are also focused on being a workplace where our staff can learn, thrive and be connected to the greater Harvard and healthcare community,” he wrote.

—Staff writer Christie E. Beckley can be reached at christie.beckley@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @cbeckley22.

—Staff writer S. Mac Healey can be reached at mac.healey@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @MacHealey