This post was written by senior staff writer Hadley Malcolm
Students seeking medical advice after Student Health Service’s normal business hours can now call an after-hours hotline, the University announced Monday.
Fonemed, a health care call center, will have nurses on hand to take students’ medical history, answer questions and concerns, and advise them to either go to the emergency room, make an appointment with SHS or to treat themselves.
“We believe Fonemed’s services will offer an efficient system after-hours that complements the services GW already offers during normal business hours,” SHS Medical Director Dr. Isabel Goldenberg said in an email.
The after-hours hotline is strictly for medical advice and students will not be able to make SHS appointments during an after-hours phone call, Goldenberg said.
Student calls will be answered by a Fonemed administrative staff member and will be transferred to a registered nurse based on the nature of the call. If all RNs are busy, students can expect a call back within 15 minutes or less, Goldenberg said.
Goldenberg said Fonemed was one of several service care providers considered for the after-hours hotline, but was ultimately chosen for its “well-known medical phone protocols and… large staff.”
Each call will cost the University approximately $20, although students will not be charged.
Goldenberg said the concept of the hotline was well received when it was proposed to students and parents.
“I think people would definitely utilize it,” sophomore Danny Rice said. “I’ve had friends in situations where they didn’t know what to do, and making a trek to the hospital is a commitment.”
Goldenberg said SHS expects the service to be well used, especially during midterms and finals when they see an influx of students.
“The program follows the same after-hours model implemented a few years ago in our counseling center, which has been well received,” she said. “This will help individual students to make an informed decision about what type of medical care they need.”
The hotline can be reached at 202-994-6827 and will be available Monday through Thursday, 6 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. the next morning, 5 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, and from 1 p.m. on Saturday through 8:30 a.m. Monday.
