Before this school year, when students scheduled an appointment with the University of Idaho Student Health Clinic, they would find their physician at the Student Health Services building on campus. Now, students will find care at a location downtown on Main Street.
Located within the Moscow Family Medicine building on the edge of campus at 623 S. Main St., students will find new physician care.
Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Blaine Eckles announced the change in location just before this school year began.
Eckles attributes the abrupt change to a physician shortage seen across the country — one heavily affecting the Moscow community.
“As a result of the departure of a physician that worked on campus last year, the University — in conjunction with Moscow Family Medicine — was unable to fill the position in time for classes to begin,” Eckles said.
According to the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies, in 2016 there were just 176 physicians providing care per every 100,000 Idahoans. Moscow Family Medicine Administrator Jeffrey Geier said Idaho is feeling shortage effects.
“The growing provider or physician shortage in the country makes it difficult to retain quality providers in Moscow and the entire state,” Geier said. “Being in Idaho, it’s already a struggle to recruit healthcare providers.”
To mitigate the issue for at least a short time, Geier said the solution to this year’s university-related physician shortage was to consolidate health clinics. Geier said the change in location will help share student patients among physicians already located at the downtown health clinic and more efficiently utilize the existing staff.
For now, the campus building that the UI Student Health Clinic once resided in will stay empty. The goal, Eckles said, is to keep the space open so it might be used as a student health clinic again.
“We are exploring all options that will be in the best interest of the students of the University of Idaho,” Eckles said. “And having the Student Health Clinic being relocated back to the same space as last year is one of those options.”
Geier said he hopes the change of location lasts for just the fall semester while new physicians are recruited.
While the student health center remains downtown, Eckles said transportation accommodations can be made through Vandal Access, a transportation service for UI students and employees. Transportation with Vandal Access should be arranged two hours prior to an appointment at the Moscow Family Medicine office and transportation will be provided after the appointment.
In a news release, Eckles said the new five-minute walk off campus will open up opportunities to a full new group of physicians with Moscow Family Medicine if needed. In addition to the new faces students might see, Eckles said the location provides for close proximity to Gritman Medical Center if a student requires further health assistance.
With a single long-time student health physician, Geier said students should be aware the medical center might feel busier during flu season than in past flu seasons.
“Our intent with the university is for this to be just a short term solution. In that time we can hopefully attract other healthcare providers to Moscow,” Geier said.
Hailey Stewart can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @Hailey_ann97
Info Box —
Appointment information – (208-882-2011)
Moscow Family Medicine Clinic Hours – Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Transportation information – Vandal Access (208-596-3722)