Convenient Care faculty/staff clinic closing July 1

June 29, 2017

Convenient Care faculty/staff clinic closing July 1

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Convenient Care faculty/staff clinic will close July 1.

Located on the first floor of the Student Health Center, the clinic opened in late 2012 and provided medical care for acute minor illnesses such as earaches and bladder infections and for minor trauma such as cuts and sprains. The goal was to provide employees with access to quick examinations and care for minor health issues when they were in a hurry or couldn’t get in quickly to see their primary care physicians.

However, Dr. Ted Grace, director of Student Health Services, said the facility simply wasn’t used enough to warrant keeping it open in an era of budgetary cutbacks. Staffed primarily by medical professionals who provide care to students, the clinic averaged just two or three employee patients daily. Grace said the priority is always to assure students have priority access to medical care.

Although there will be no routine care for faculty and staff, the center will continue to provide travel and immunization services as well as initial care for SIU employees injured at work and other faculty/staff emergencies.