Keeping the campus community healthy
Campus Health
For individual students to be truly healthy, their larger community must be healthy as well. To UHS, that means promoting an environment where people feel safe, equal, and connected to others; where public health risks are mitigated through prevention practices, surveillance, and communication; and where people are open-minded and well-informed about potential risks to physical and emotional health and ways to lower those risks.
The UHS services that particularly connect to this part of our mission are:
Many UHS staff teach for-credit classes in areas of health promotion and critical thinking around health topics. They also deliver guest lectures on health topics in other courses. This classroom participation keeps them connected to the campus's academic mission and to students' concerns, perspectives, and experiences.
Community Health and Epidemiology »
This unit of the medical services coordinates the student and employee flu shot programs; administers immunizations for other vaccine-preventable diseases; and does TB testing. The staff epidemiologist tracks patterns of injury and illness and serves as a liaison to the Division of Public Health and the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene.
Environmental Health Program »
The staff of the Environmental Health Program routinely monitor the water and air quality and food safety at facilities all across campus to prevent disease outbreaks, mitigate allergens, and warn of potential health hazards. They also certify and maintain biosafety cabinets in research laboratories. They issue Food Stand Permits to student organizations and educate student groups about practices that promote safe food handling.
The Prevention Services teams take an environmental approach to decreasing risks to student health, particularly in the areas of sexual assault and dating violence, sexual health, and alcohol risk reduction. They also promote civic engagement, social justice, and academic engagement with the rich cultural assets of the South Park Street corridor.
Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Prevention Resources »
The grant-funded Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Prevention Resources fulfills the Wisconsin Idea by conducting trainings, creating programming, and providing education and outreach to promote community health throughout the state.
