Health & Wellness Center

Health & Wellness Center

The staff of the Health and Wellness Center believes that taking good care of one’s physical health and emotional well-being is a vital component in making the most of your time at our university. Thus, we pride ourselves in providing a safe, caring, and confidential environment for your healthcare and counseling needs.

The Health and Wellness Center’s mission is to provide quality emotional and medical care to Alvernia University’s student population, to promote an environment that encourages individuals to maximize their physical, emotional and spiritual wellness, and to empower our students to make healthy choices regarding their lifestyle.

Emergency/Crisis Information

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

During Office Hours:
The Health and Wellness Center is open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. If you have an emergency during these hours please call the Health and Wellness Center at 610-568-1467 and a staff member will determine the appropriate level of care needed for the emergency at hand.

Alvernia University’s Health and Wellness Center is not an emergency care center. The staff will administer first-aid and stabilize an emergency condition until ambulance personnel arrive for transport. Students are referred to a near-by hospital or emergency center for emergency medical care. If an ambulance is required, the cost of this transport is the responsibility of the student.

After hours:
If you have a health problem that requires immediate attention when the Health and Wellness Center is closed, please contact Public Safety at 610-796-8350 or dial 911.

Please remember: Routine medical complaints should be seen during regular office hours. You can call the Health and Wellness Center at 610-568-1467 and leave a message at any time; someone will return your call the next business day and schedule you for an appointment.

If your medical concern cannot wait until normal business hours, and you are a resident student, your hall director can contact the Reading Medical Center Family Practice Resident for questions and concerns.

MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES

There are a few situations that require an immediate response when dealing with metal health crises:

• When students are in significant emotional distress that their ability to function is seriously impaired

• They pose a threat to themselves or others.

• A student makes overtly suicidal comments; e.g. referring to suicide as a current option or if they have a plan and the means to carry out the plan.

• A student experiencing impaired speech or garbled, disjointed thoughts, bizarre or strange behavior that is obviously inappropriate to the situation; e.g. talking to “invisible people” or exhibiting paranoid thinking.

During Office Hours:
Please contact the Health & Wellness Center if a crisis occurs during office hours at 610-568-1467. Our staff will work to determine the best course of action for the student’s needs.

After hours:
When the office is closed, please call Public Safety at 610-796-8350.

PLEASE CONTACT PUBLIC SAFETY IMMEDIATELY AT 610-796-8350 WHEN A STUDENT OR VISITOR DEMONSTRATES:

• high levels of irritability, including unruly, aggressive, or violent behavior.

• a serious and imminent threat of harm to themselves, others or property.

Important Phone Numbers:

Health & Wellness Center, 610-568-1467
Public Safety, 610-796-8350
National Poison Center, 800-222-1222
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 800-273-TALK (8255)
Women in Crisis, 610-373-1206
Treatment for Assault–Reading Hospital, 610-988-8218