Jacob Bloom
Staff writer
jhbloom@willamette.edu
Due to COVID-19, Bishop Wellness Center has been forced to make changes to adhere to social distancing. On March 30, Don Thomson, Director of Bishop Wellness Center, sent out a mass email informing Willamette students that all Bishop counseling services and most medical services will continue through Zoom for Healthcare, a video conferencing app designed specifically for medical appointments. According to Thomson, only medical services that cannot be conducted remotely will continue in-person. The email also provided a link to Bishop’s website, which detailed additional changes that have been made in response to COVID-19. According to the website, students with upper respiratory, cough, flu or sore throat symptoms will be immediately referred to community primary care. Additionally, students are being asked to no longer schedule appointments at the front desk of Bishop. Instead, according to Bishop’s new pages titled, “Changes in Health Services” and “Changes in Counseling Services,” appointments should be made by calling Bishop’s front desk, which can be reached at (503) 270-6062, from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Collegian has compiled additional answers to some the most common questions regarding changes that have been made to Bishop’s services.
Bishop Wellness Center. Photo by Dani Garcia King.
Does Bishop provide testing for COVID-19?
No. However, if you have symptoms of COVID-19, Bishop can point you in the right direction to determine if and at what location you may be able to get tested.
Is Bishop still taking “walk-in” appointments?
No. They ask you to schedule an appointment by calling (503) 370-6062. If the call is not answered, leave a message. Appointments can also be made on the secure messaging portal on Bishop’s website if students have already been working with a provider.
Is Bishop Wellness Center still accepting counseling appointments?
Starting Thursday, March 30 until the end of spring semester, all Bishop counseling appointments will be conducted over telephone or Zoom for Healthcare. No in-person counseling appointments will be conducted.
Is Bishop Wellness Center still accepting medical appointments?
Starting Thursday, March 30 until the end of spring semester, most medical appointments will be conducted over Zoom for Healthcare or telephone. According to Don Thomson, exceptions to this include services that cannot be provided remotely, such as labs, vitals, blood work and more.
Will Zoom for Healthcare be able to access my medical information?
According to Bishop’s Website, “all audio/video communication is securely encrypted and transmitted from point-to-point such that even Zoom does not have access to any identifiable health information that may be communicated.”
Do I have to use Zoom for Healthcare, or can I use another platform to make remote appointments?
Bishop allows for regular phone appointments as well.