NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – With the new surge in the coronavirus pandemic, TSU students who may not be comfortable leaving their room for a doctor’s visit, now have a new option – a free virtual telehealth service.
The university has partnered with myURGENCYMD, a national telemedicine firm, to provide 24-hour, seven-days-a-week virtual doctor’s visits at no cost to the university’s student population. The service connects students to doctors via phone, video and email.
“This is really a good idea for some of us who are scared to venture outside of our rooms,” said Terriana Holt, a senior human performance sports science major from Nashville. “It is also good if you have a personal medical problem. You can just talk on the phone with an anonymous person and get help.”
Fellow student Dominique Davis agreed.
“I think telehealth is really beneficial to the student body because it is very convenient,” said Davis, a senior business administration major from Danville, Illinois, who is president of the Student Government Association. “With COVID, a lot of times we don’t want to come out of our room, we just have that fear. I think this program is very, very smart.”
TSU President Glenda Glover said the partnership with myURGENCYMD is very timely “to ensure the health of our students.”
“This is a big deal, as the safety of our students and campus community continues to be our top priority,” Glover said. “We are thankful and grateful to this company for seeing the need and coming in to help us protect the health of our students during this time.”
Dr. Dosha CEO and chief medical officer of myURGENCYMD, said under the partnership, TSU students will be able to speak with board-certified physicians who can determine the best course of treatment, and may save the student from unnecessary emergency room visits and enormous costs.
“I created this company with students in mind,” said James, a 15-year veteran emergency medicine physician. “A large number of students come to the ER because they have limited options to see a doctor. This is especially true nights and weekends when student clinics are closed.”
Officials said the telemedicine service allows students to request and consult with doctors for conditions such as cold and flu symptoms, sinus problems, respiratory infections, allergies, STDs, urinary tract infections, and many other non-emergency illnesses. Use of myURGENCYMD also provides electronic records that allow the Student Health Center to view all of the students’ telehealth visits.
“With the ability to keep track of telemedicine visits, we are able to ensure that all of our students, off and on-campus, receive appropriate follow-up and care,” said Dr. Ivan Davis, director of Student Health Services.
Frank Stevenson, TSU’s associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, said this is a “unique opportunity for us to provide some extended health services for our students.”
“Students now have 24/7 access to health experts that will help them navigate any issues they may have,” Stevenson said. “It is available to all of our students. We are excited about that.”
Dr. Carolyn Davis, assistant vice president of student affairs, added that the university needed an “adjunct” to care for students when campus health providers were not available.
“MyURGENCYMD’s telemedicine service filled that need and also allowed us to offer telemedicine services to our students who may be taking online courses and don’t live near campus,” she said.
For more information on student health services at TSU, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/healthcenter/
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Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.