With the Student Health and Wellness Center UPMC partnership beginning in 2020, new additions continue to be added to the space, including a new health educator, expanding on the administrative assistant position.

Madison Przicina, onsite health educator II, was hired this past June.

“The main goal of this position is to prevent issues with students and guide them in the right direction for any resources that the health center cannot provide,” Przicina said. “I am more for stress management, nutrition, physical health, all those things that are not always the nurse and counselors’ first priorities.”

Przicina has held several pop-up booths across campus already this semester, including one at the Health and Wellness fair.

“I was able to have conversations and give resources to over 50 students during the fair, which was a success,” Przicina said. “I hope to continue to be approachable to students.”

One-on-one meetings can be booked through the MyHealth online scheduling, the same service that it takes to schedule an appointment with the university nurse. Przicina also hopes to hold “quick 10 to 15 minute online meditations” weekly that students can “make part of their routines.”

Vanessa Webb, Practice Manager for the Student Health and Wellness Center, wants students to “understand what Madison does.”

“I think students don’t know and understand what is available to them for their health care,” Webb said. “Madison is easy to have dialogue with; she looks like a college student, and this is not some white-coat diagnosis and treatment, but a one stop for resources and helping students work with their insurance and take charge of their health care.”

Webb also stresses that “health care is not one size fits all” and the onsite health educator position is meant to “accommodate for everyone’s individual needs.”

“This position will allow for much more than just answering phone calls and making appointments and is still in early stages,” Keith Paylo, dean of students, said. “The biggest thing always is that we want to hear from the students. If there are certain health topics they feel we need to educate on, we want to know and not be left guessing.”

Paylo adds that this new position is to “help and support nurse Rebecca and all the wellness center staff,” enhancing what “already is working.” 

Julianne Bailey, sophomore legal studies major, feels that this position is “interesting.”

“I am just confused as to how adding another person to the center will help,” Bailey said. “We should just be focusing on enhancing what we have and addressing any internal problems or concerns.”

Kassady Burke, sophomore behavioral sciences major, feels similarly.  

“I think we just really need more counselors and nurses,” Burke said. “This position may help with any scheduling holdups, but we just need more people to carry out services.”

Przicina will be holding another pop-up booth outside the Point Cafe, on the second floor of Lawrence Hall, on Nov. 1 from 12-2 p.m.