Campus Health Center: 'Transformative change' that continues commitment to student wellness

July 15, 2025 (Volume 48, Number 20)
Article by Michele Coffill

exterior of Campus Health Center, blue sky, trees in background

The Campus Health Center, on 42nd Avenue, will open for the fall semester and offer urgent and primary care services to the campus community and the public.

Photo Credit: Cory Morse

Update: the July 29 town hall has been postponed until a later date.

Staff from the Center for Health and Well-being (CHWB) gathered feedback and shared updates about the department and the Campus Health Center during the first of two strategic planning meetings.

When the Campus Health Center on the Valley Campus reopens in the fall, it will be self-operated by the university. Providers will be GVSU employees who offer primary and urgent care services to the campus community and the public.

Edward Jones II, director of the CHWB, said this new operating model will better align with the needs of students and others in the community.

"We will have the ability to shape our care," Jones said.

Grand Valley received grants and will partner with several organizations in Kent and Ottawa counties to offer robust services at the health center. Jones said the HealthBar will coordinate a nurse phone line and telehealth services; Health Net of West Michigan will provide care management services; and Ottawa Pathways for Better Health, an Ottawa County Health Department program, will assist with access to insurance and other social health-related needs.

Kate Harmon, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, Well-being and Inclusion, said a self-operating health center is a "transformative change" and one that aligns with the goals of a health-promoting university.

"When President Mantella signed the Okanagan Charter, it continued Grand Valley's deep commitment to placing student health and wellness at the forefront of the university," Harmon said. The charter provides a framework for institutions to embed health into all aspects of campus culture.

Other CHWB units

Kaylee Barkman, assistant director of victim and survivor advocacy, and Kait Roughton, trauma specialist-victim advocate, discussed the volunteer victim advocacy program and the GVSU survivor support fund.
Heather Alberda, health promotion specialist, outlined the health promotion team's goals, which include a pilot practicum program for a master of public health student in the fall. The Wellness Information Team (WIT) provides peer education and can give presentations on an array of health and wellness topics.

Jones said the staff will incorporate feedback from the June 17 meeting and share care management plans for the health center at the second town hall on July 29, 2:30-4 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, room 2266. RSVP for that meeting.

Learn more about the services at the Center for Health and Well-being.