Binghamton University’s Health Services is receiving a $1.5 million grant from the Dr. G. Clifford and Florence B. Decker Foundation.
The grant will be used to fund renovations and upgrades that will improve services to students and increase partnership with local health care agencies.
The Health Services facility was built in the 1960s and has had minimal updates since its original opening, according to Johann Fiore-Conte, the administrative director of Health Services.
“The building was built at a time when health care was delivered in a different way from how we deliver it now,” Fiore-Conte said. “Student’s health issues were also different then. It is time to modify the building so we can more efficiently take care of the students.”
Though the date of the renovation is not yet set, plans are in the works for the first set of improvements. According to Fiore-Conte, the proposal for the use of the grant money is to renovate the first floor of the clinic, and then re-equip the examination rooms.
“Right now there are seven examining rooms that are fully equipped,” she said. “After the renovation there will be 15 fully equipped rooms.”
With the extra clinical space there is a hope to increase the opportunities for Decker School of Nursing students to work with Health Services.
“The renovations and upgrades will provide additional clinical sites for Decker School of Nursing students as well as resident physicians from local hospitals,” said Gerald E. Putnam, executive director of the Decker Foundation, in a Sept. 23 press release.
Fiore-Conte said renovation plans are slated to enlarge both the waiting room and the space used for dispensing medications. Also, the purchase of an electronic medical record system will allow paper charts to be converted into electronic documents.
According to Fiore-Conte, an important part of the renovations of the facility is the addition of a “smart classroom,” which will go where the lower level conference room is currently, and a learning center, which will be in the waiting room.
“We really would like to see the students becoming more educated in terms of self-care,” Fiore-Conte said.
This new learning center will allow students to access health information while they are waiting for their appointments, Fiore-Conte said. She also said the idea has not been completely developed yet.
“The Decker Foundation has been a strong supporter of Binghamton University for many years as we developed our outstanding nursing programs,” President Lois B. DeFleur said. “This gift is another example of Decker’s commitment to the University and the entire community.”
“These funds will enable our University Health Services to provide more efficient and comprehensive programs, and we are grateful to the Decker Foundation,” DeFleur added.