New Nebraska Medicine UNMC Student Health Clinic opens Monday

The new Nebraska Medicine UNMC Student Health Clinic will open in its fully renovated and dedicated space on Monday, Feb. 19.

The project, first announced in spring 2022, represents two important shifts in care for the student health clinic.

Nebraska Medicine is taking on clinical operations from the Department of Family Medicine in the UNMC College of Medicine. And the new space – now exclusively devoted to student health – will be in the Student Life Center on the second floor, relocating from the Family Medicine outpatient clinic on Level 3 of the Durham Outpatient Center.

Phil Covington, EdD, associate vice chancellor for student success, said the opening of the new Nebraska Medicine UNMC Student Health Clinic is the culmination of a process that started with a request from students to have a dedicated space for the clinic.

“We’re pleased to join with our clinical partners at Nebraska Medicine once again, this time for the health and wellness of our own UNMC students,” Dr. Covington said. “And we’re excited to co-locate the clinic in the same building as other student wellness focused services.”

Also within the Student Life Center are the Center for Healthy Living, Counseling and Psychological Services, Accessibility Services Center, Gender and Sexuality Resource Center and the Office of Academic Success.

Although the operations and location are changing, the services that students can expect to receive at the Nebraska Medicine UNMC Student Health Clinic remain unchanged from what have been available, Dr. Covington said.

Robbe Peetz, Nebraska Medicine’s director of University of Nebraska Student Health, said Nebraska Medicine looks forward to continuing to support the health and wellbeing of UNMC students in the new location.

Peetz credited UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, and the UNMC Student Senate with the vision to centralize services for students.

“Our partnership will ensure the best possible health care experience for them,” she said. “As a former UNMC student, I can appreciate the need for timely access to high-quality care during very busy didactic and clinical work.

“I am proud of the collaboration of our teams to execute Dr. Gold’s vision and exhibit our ITEACH values of innovation, teamwork and healing.”

Shaker Dukkipati, UNMC Student Senate vice president and an M4 MD-PhD student, said he’s excited for the student health center’s opening and looks forward to hearing more about how students will benefit from it.

“I have heard from many students that the new location will make things more convenient and improve privacy,” he said. “It’s great to see UNMC take steps to further improve student wellbeing.”