During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NC State community looked to Student Health Services for guidance and expertise. Along with several key partners around the university, its staff led testing efforts for the whole campus community, coordinated quarantine and isolation housing with University Housing, and later administered COVID-19 vaccinations to students, faculty and staff. 

Even though it provided a variety of healthcare needs for faculty and staff long before the pandemic, Student Health Services changed its name to Campus Health in 2022 to better reflect its commitment to the broader campus community. 

“The name change was more of a recognition that throughout COVID — and before — we were not only serving students, but providing for the health and wellness of the entire campus population as both faculty and staff health and wellness play a critical role in our students’ academic success,” said Tyler Pearce, assistant director of community health within the Campus Health Department. “This name change will hopefully allow us to expand our services to include more offerings for the entire campus community, including employees.”

Currently, faculty and staff can receive many of the same services at the Campus Health Center that students enjoy. With locations on both Main and Centennial campuses, Campus Health offers the following health care for faculty and staff:

• COVID-19, flu and mpox vaccinations
• Dental services through Campus Smiles
• Occupational medicine, where employees can receive exams for respirator use, animal contacts, lead exposure, hearing protection, specialized physicals, etc.
• A Travel Clinic, where employees can receive comprehensive and personalized recommendations, medications and vaccinations based on destination and itinerary.

In addition to these types of health care, NC State employees have access to the Campus Health Pharmacy. Located right inside the Campus Health Center on Main Campus, the pharmacy fills and refills prescriptions, arranges prescription transfers from outside pharmacies, and assists with filing claims for prescription plans for students and employees. The pharmacy also has over-the-counter medications and other healthcare items, usually at lower costs than other retailers. Commonly available medications can be viewed on the pharmacy’s webpage; most other medications can be readily ordered if available from distributors for next-business-day pickup. Flu shots are also available on a daily basis during the flu season each year. 

Pearce noted that Campus Health is looking to add even more services in the future, including infusion therapies, ophthalmology, specific employee health providers, massage therapy and other specialist and alternative therapies. Learn more in Campus Health’s strategic plan. 

COVID-19 Testing and Flu Vaccines

Over the last two years, Campus Health staff completed nearly 200,000 COVID-19 tests for employees and students. The last day of on-campus COVID-19 surveillance testing was Tuesday, Dec. 20. There will not be any COVID-19 testing sites on campus starting in the spring 2023 semester. Students who are ill can still make an appointment to be seen by a provider and will be tested, if appropriate. 

The pharmacy has COVID-19 home test kits available to students and employees. Test kits are free through most health insurance providers (including Student Blue and the NC State Health Plan), and most plans cover up to eight test kits per month, per individual covered.

COVID-19 vaccines and updated bivalent COVID-19 booster shots will still be available for students, faculty and staff in the spring semester as well. Starting Jan. 9, COVID-19 bivalent boosters will be offered Monday through Friday. Pearce added that it’s not too late to get a flu shot, either.

“We’re continuing to see an increased number of flu cases throughout North Carolina with hospitals and emergency departments getting pretty crowded in some areas,” Pearce said. “Getting a flu shot helps protect you and your friends and family.”

Learn more about Campus Health, its vaccination clinics, and how it serves NC State’s employees at https://healthypack.dasa.ncsu.edu/.