The University administration and the Student Union have completed the review of the Brandeis Health Center as requested by the Union last November and are concentrating on implementing the proposed changes, according to Union Director of Executive Affairs and Chair of the Health Center Advisory Committee Jess Blumberg '09.Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer explained in an e-mail to the Justice that students, as well as staff from the Health Center, Student Life and Students and Enrollment collaborated on the review. "[The Union has] highlighted areas [of the Health Center] that need improvement-like privacy, customer service, and [doctor] availability issues wrote Student Union President Jason Gray '10 in an e-mail to the Justice.

Director of the Health Center Kathleen Maloney said that in response to the concern regarding the lack of student privacy at the Health Center information desk, "[the Health Center] will be having everyone write why they are visiting the Health Center to reduce conversation [at the desk]."

Maloney wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the handout, which encourages students to ask questions if they don't understand their diagnoses, will also be available on the Health Center's Web site for student convenience.

Maloney said that the biographies of the Health Center staff have been posted on the bulletin board because "students have problems identifying who is the doctor and nurse. Sometimes there is a misconception [regarding] why some of [the staff] have been elected to work in a college health center."

Blumberg wrote in an e-mail to the Justice, "The Health Center will now be putting together a user satisfaction survey that will be sent to every student after their visit to follow up with how it went." She said an electronic survey will be implemented so that students can complete it at their own convenience in contrast to the previous surveys conducted by the Health Center that had to be filled out at the desk.

"There will also be increased staff training to address issues of customer service and miscommunication," wrote Blumberg. However, Blumberg said in an interview that the Union wants further details about "what the staff training will entail and how often it is going to take place [to] ensure that there is a change in attitude and action."

"Because some students reported to [Sawyer] that there aren't enough MD hours, each morning [the Health Center staff looks] at the schedule [to] count how many open slots doctors have and reports this to [Sawyer] every month," explained Maloney. She implied that doctor availability is reported to examine if the Health Center has sufficient doctor hours.

"[The Union wants] to know how long [the Health Center] is going be tracking [doctor availability]," Blumberg said. The Union wants to be informed of the tracking of doctor availability to see how the Health Center is responding to the student concerns, said Blumberg.

"The adjustments in services that have been proposed and implemented look good. I am most pleased that we were able to create a productive connection between the Union, the Health Center staff, and medical professionals associated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center," wrote Sawyer.