As a health sciences campus, WSU Spokane has no shortage of students training to become doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and more. But what happens when these future health care providers need care themselves? Fortunately, there is a team on campus dedicated to caring for the future of health care.
Sue McFadden, MN, ARNP, and Kay Olson, MN, RN, are providers for Range Student Health, an on-campus clinic that brings convenient and comprehensive health services to Spokane campus students. Supported by the Student Health Fee, the clinic is a partnership between WSU Spokane and the College of Medicine’s Range Community Clinic.
“We want students to know that there are resources available and to use those resources,” said Olson. “Going through some of these health care programs is very stressful. This is a place where students can come for care or sometimes just for a break or if they need someone to talk with. If referrals are needed, we can make those.”
The clinic can handle anything from administering program-required vaccinations, testing and care for Covid, flu, strep, and RSV, and wound care like cuts and insect stings. To connect with even more students, the clinic will also be hosting new wellness programming on campus this year.
“That is what we want to be about, keeping our whole campus community healthy,” said McFadden. “In September we have a martial arts expert coming onto campus who will be doing self-empowerment and situational awareness work with us out on the grass. In October we are planning a book club discussion on sexual assault prevention focusing on both how to keep our students healthy but also how future health care providers can be sensitized to that issue.”
For McFadden and Olson, community care is in their blood. Both are long-time educators in the WSU College of Nursing. They also spend part of their time with Range Community Clinic doing community outreach work. They travel to school districts across Washington to administer vaccines and complete sports physicals, offer services in assisted living facilities, and perform health screenings at various community events and for those experiencing homelessness.
“We care about those people, and we want to continue our work with them,” Olson said referring to their latest work to offer foot care to people without housing. “Their feet are something that need a lot of attention because that’s their main source of transportation. We need to keep them healthy.”
Community work also gives McFadden and Olson the opportunity to partner with WSU health sciences students interested in giving screenings or participating in other outreach work. Whether through their outreach work or caring for the students as patients, McFadden and Olson say teaching is always at the heart of what they do.
“We take that really seriously,” said McFadden. “That means that every touchstone we have with students, we want it to be an opportunity for them to also think about the experience and how accessing care impacts the care you provide.”
Receiving Care from Range Student Health
Because the providers at Range Student Health are active in campus and community wellness projects, appointments are recommended for the student clinic services. Students in need of care are urged to call 509-471-7828 to schedule an appointment. Patients can usually be seen day of or the next day.
Appointments are typically available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The clinic is located on the west side of the Health Sciences Building (HSB).
The following services are covered by the Student Health Fee and are available at no charge. Students are, however, responsible for the costs of any non-covered services such as lab work, radiology, and prescriptions.
- Same-day illness and injury
- Coughs/colds/flu
- Acute infections, including urinary tract infections, strep throat, skin infections
- Sprains/strains
- Minor wound/injury management, including diagnosis of fractures and surgical management of small wounds
- Mental health
- Women’s health, including sexual health services
- LGBTQ+ care, including transgender medicine
- Management of chronic conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, thyroid, asthma/allergies, skin conditions
- Immunizations
- TB testing
- Nutrition counseling
- Sports medicine
- Sports physicals
- STD/STI testing
Students also have access to the 24/7 Teledoc Services, which offer a range of virtual care via phone, video, or mobile app visits. Learn more about the Range Student Health Services or Teledoc.