The Student Health Advisory Committee and the Health Fee Review Committee held their first meeting Tuesday to discuss plans for Student Health Services' new budget proposal.

The budget proposal will recommend to university officials how much — if at all — the fee for health services should be increased or decreased for the next year. This year's health fee was $120 per semester.

"Our goal here is to come up with a budget proposal on our schedule," said Dana Mills, director of HFRC. "We want to be as efficient and economical as possible and still offer quality health care to the students. We also want to make sure that all major constituencies are represented."

SHAC will work toward involving all the major constituencies. Members of SHAC will work as a liaison between the HFRC and members of the student body.

"The value in SHAC is that it is a student-based program," said clinical health educator Colleen Peck. "Sometimes it is easier for students to go to other students and talk about their issues, rather than to talk to us directly. With SHAC, students can raise their concerns about SHS with other students, and have those concerns voiced anonymously."

President of SHAC, senior David Gallagher, is looking to "promote and advocate for student health issues," he said. "Our main focus right now is smoking on campus. Too many people are smoking on campus and we want to offer help to those who want to stop."

Funding for SHAC "will come from MUSG and our own fundraisers," Gallagher said. "We are also looking at several different grant options."

Peck said she looks forward to working with SHAC.

"Having SHAC will help us with our budget proposal," she said. "We will now be able to more effectively decipher what is important to students who are paying for SHS. Among some of the issues we will be addressing are staffing, hours and increased funds for people who want to quit smoking."

The amount of money determined by the budget proposal goes to SHS will go toward diagnosis of treatment of illness or injury, minor surgery, immunizations and allergy injections, prescriptions, laboratory tests, referrals, health education, nutrition counseling, tuberculosis screening, acne care, wart removal, STD screening, HIV testing and counseling and annual gynecological exams. […]

"Money dedicated to SHS will cover operating, capital, occupancy and indirect costs," Mills said. "It's very important for us to have an engaged discussion with the students and parents about what is going on with SHS. It will help us come to the most effective budget proposal possible."

Since the fall of 1997 SHAC has assisted SHS by reviewing operations and making recommendations on health fee changes. The majority of members of SHAC have been undergrads representing MUSG, Peer Health Educators, commuters and various student organizations. In the fall of 1998 SHAC recommended a segregated health fee to cover the expenses of SHS. This action was approved by the Board of Trustees and implemented in the fall of 1999. Since then SHAC has given input regarding policies and funding of SHS operations.