Student Health Service established a women’s clinic in March 2007 and hired nurse practitioner Pamela Hux. Administrator of the Student Health Service Jim Boyle said creating women’s clinics has become a college trend over the past few years.
Before the women’s clinic, the Student Health Service provided services geared toward female students, but now more testing and services are available. Female students will feel more comfortable dealing with only one practitioner instead of having to go to different doctors to be regularly checked, Boyle said.
Hux has been in the women’s health field for 17 years and a nurse practitioner for 11. She originally graduated from UT in the 1970s as a registered nurse. After working in multiple hospitals, including Summit Medical Group in Sevierville, Tenn., she found her passion in the women’s health field. She obtained a nurse practitioner’s degree from East Tennessee State University and has remained a primary caregiver in the women’s health field since.
“I have always wanted to be a physician, but being a nurse practitioner provided me with a career opportunity to do 85 percent of what physicians treat,” said Hux.
Hux said that since her arrival at the clinic, she’s been surprised that UT charges such low rates for health services.
“Outside of college, it is basically unheard of to have so many tests provided free or at relatively low rates,” Hux said. Cardiovascular lab fees, EKG’s, X-rays and a multitude of different laboratory services are provided free or with a minimal fee of $10. She also said even with the collaboration between the university hospital and other suppliers making medical care accessible to all students, not many are aware of the new clinic.
“I’ve heard daily from patients that they never even knew (the women’s clinic was) here,” said Hux.
Since the beginning of the fall semester, however, the flow of incoming students has been steady. Ashley Sink, a junior in public relations, said she has had an appointment at the new women’s clinic. “I was very pleased because it was a quick and easy way to get my needs met. Instead of having to wait to go home or find a clinic in Knoxville, I found one right here at UT,” Sink said.
Other students have expressed surprise at the presence of the women’s clinic, yet these reactions are not unexpected considering the lack of official advertisement, said Boyle.
“I have not heard anything about the new women’s clinic at all, and that’s quite strange because I’m at the Student Health Center every other week receiving allergy injections,” Rhonda Williams, a junior in animal science, said.
“We haven’t publicized at all except for word of mouth — and word of mouth by women is pretty good,” Boyle said.
Boyle also said that the Student Health Service is excited about moving to a new building. Plans have been made to build a new Student Health Center in the adjacent parking lot to the preexisting Student Health Service. The new building will be built with the women’s clinic in mind and might potentially include pharmacy services and a physical therapy department.