Student Health Services held its first Halloween Calpulli Carnival and Open House on Oct. 29 to inform San Diego State students about health services available to them.
The event, organized by the Marketing and Communications committee of Calpulli Center, aimed to create a friendly environment for students to attain more information. Student Disability Services, Counseling and Psychological Services and Health Promotions all participated.
“A lot of the services that are here in SDSU students don’t know about, so we wanted to create an open space for students to come by and feel welcomed and know all the services that are in the Calpulli Center,” senior and Committee Member Tori Barron said.
Student Health Services gave tours of the entire building, featuring every service the center has to offer.
The tour guide reminded the attendees that by attending SDSU, students pay a health fee, giving them access to all the departments of Calpulli.
However, Communication Resource Specialist Irma Murphy said students are often unaware of these services because their parents pay the health fee and students don’t utilize the services offered until they are sick.
The mandated health fee grants access to primary and special care, the pharmacy, laboratory, physical therapy and radiology, dentistry, optometry, physical exams and a travel medical consultant.
If a student is in need of primary care, they can visit a nurse at Primary Care One on the first floor. The nurse can then look at the patient and schedule an appointment with a doctor the same day if possible. If additional medical assistance is needed, Student Health Services can list health providers in the community compatible with the student’s specific condition.
The Counseling and Psychological Services has licensed clinical psychologists as well as marriage and family therapists that can aid students in need of emotional, psychological or couples counseling.
Student Disability Services provides accommodations to students with learning and physical disabilities, such as quiet rooms for students to take tests and mobility services for students with conditions that make it difficult to walk around campus.
Health Promotion aims to enhance and inform students about lifelong healthy decisions and ways to be proactive about their health by informing them about the Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment program, as well as birth control and health insurance.
The eye and dental clinic on the third floor can be a point of interest for students, especially if they do not have a dentist or optometrist. Each facility has basic services such as eye exams, contact lens evaluations, fillings, crowns, teeth whitening, veneers, Invisalign, night guards and X-rays. These services are considered additional but remain available at a low cost.
“Because I already pay for this service, if I ever need it I will come down and utilize it,” journalism major Mary Borstelmann said at the carnival.
Student Health Services is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, students can call Students Health Services’ main number at 619-594-4325, or visit its website.
