Health Center Closed Oct. 28-31 In Preparation For Pat Walker Health Center; Plans Announced For Transition Between Old Facility And New

Fayetteville, Ark. - The University of Arkansas Fount Richardson Health Center, located at 600 Razorback Road, will close its doors Thursday, Oct. 28, to make necessary preparations for relocation to the newly constructed Pat Walker Health Center, located at the corner of Garland Avenue and Maple Street, on Monday, Nov. 1.

"This is such an exciting opportunity for improved health care services at the University of Arkansas," said Mary Alice Serafini, assistant vice chancellor for Student Affairs and director of the Pat Walker Health Center. "The services offered within the new center include comprehensive primary medical care, women's health care, pharmacy services, clinical laboratory services, X-ray services, counseling and psychological services, and health promotion and education."

"During this short period of transition, we apologize for any inconvenience this temporary closure presents to the university community, and we appreciate everyone's cooperation and patience as we prepare to make the Pat Walker Health Center a reality."

Please note the following temporary schedule changes for services offered through the UA Health Center:

All medical care in the primary medical clinic and the women's clinic will be unavailable from Oct. 28 through Oct. 31. Services will resume in the Pat Walker Health Center at 8 a.m., Monday, Nov. 1.

Physician and nurse practitioner services will be suspended from Oct. 28 through Oct. 31. In addition, the services of the Allergy/Immunization/Travel Clinic will be unavailable, and the nurse triage call-back program will be unavailable during this time.

Pharmacy services will also be unavailable during this period of time. Students are encouraged to fill any prescriptions that require a refill at the end of October prior to Oct. 28.

Students who have urgent needs for medical care may seek care at First Care North, located at 3340 N. College Ave., Fayetteville, or another provider of their choice. To contact First Care North, call (479) 443-3536. The UA student health fee will not cover the cost of services at these secondary locations, so students are advised to inform these providers of their health insurance status. Washington Regional Medical Center is also available for emergency medical care for all members of the community.

Students who are in need of emergency or crisis mental health care can utilize the emergency services of CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) by calling 575-2277 (575-CAPS). CAPS is a 24-hour service and will continue throughout the relocation to the Pat Walker Health Center. No routine individual or group psychotherapy appointments will take place from Oct. 28 through Oct. 31. CAPS appointments will resume Nov. 1.

Health Promotion and Education will have limited programming during this transitional period. Students who are enrolled in courses for which health educators serve as instructors will maintain their usual class schedule Oct. 28 and 29.

Student Assistance Programs will not be available during this time, and the business and insurance offices will be closed from Oct. 28 through Oct. 31.

Effective Monday, Nov. 1, all services will be accessible through the Pat Walker Health Center, beginning at 8 a.m. The telephone number for all services is 575-4451.

A dedication ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m., Friday, Nov. 12, in the Elizabeth Phillips Stewart Atrium of the Pat Walker Health Center.

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Mary Alice Serafini, assistant vice chancellor for Student Affairs, director, Pat Walker Health Center, (479) 575-4077, mserafi@uark.edu

Charles Crowson, manager of media relations, University Relations, (479) 575-3583, ccrowso@uark.edu