After months of debate over the future status of University Health Services’ operations, Chancellor Robert Holub approved the recommendations of a joint student, physician and administrator committee that reduces UHS operating hours while preserving services that were to be cut under the original November list of changes.
The proposed cuts, both in November and now, were designed to produce cost savings in order to fund the construction of a new UHS building. The Collegian reported in January that “Administration officials defended the [November] proposal as a necessary step towards funding the renovation or replacement of outdated and poorly maintained healthcare facilities, as well as a part of a federally directed transition to electronic medical records.”
The UHS review committee, composed of UMass and UHS administrators, UHS physicians and student representatives, was established following student protests of the initial plans for cuts. The preservation of the pharmacy and laboratory services mirrors recommendations contained in a March draft proposal examined by the Collegian, which was subject to further review after a $400,000 gap was found between the proposal’s savings and the savings target of the committee.
The committee, established in December and headed by Associate Chancellor Susan Pearson, recommended the preservation of the UHS pharmacy, which was to be eliminated under the original plan, coupled with increases in the prices of over-the-counter products, according to a press release. UHS will continue to offer critical laboratory services, which were also set to be cut; UHS has been tasked with finding $100,000 of savings by using outside labs for non-essential testing.
The press release states that night, weekend and holiday operating hours will be reduced in an effort to reduce costs. To compensate for this, UHS will increase publicity for the Health Ride program which offers students vouchers for cab rides to medical facilities in exchange for a $25 semesterly fee.
UHS has also been directed to find $100,000 in additional savings or revenues in its annual budget in consultation with its medical staff, according to the press release.
The committee’s plan will save $4.8 million, equivalent to the savings that would have been generated under the initial proposal, according to the press release.
Collegian News Staff
