Regularly enrolled students who pay all mandatory fees to attend CSU East Bay are qualified for 13 free student health and counseling services and three services at low costs, according to the Student Health and Counseling Center.

“The Health Promotion Department at Student Health and Counseling Services helps students make healthier choices in their lives by offering a wide range of health education and prevention services,” said Jennifer Miranda, manager of the health and wellness program. “In addition to our clinics and events, we have educational resources and services that are conveniently available and free.”

The free services available to CSUEB students include general medical visits and urgent care, counseling appointments, health promotion and education consultations, HIV/AIDS testing, men’s and women’s health care, and nutrition assessments, as well as the first eight physical therapy sessions, according to the Student Health and Counseling Services website.

“Students have access to low cost, suitable health care right here on campus,” said Miranda. “Students should take advantage of our services while they are enrolled at CSUEB before they graduate and have higher out-of-pocket costs for healthcare.”

Health services that are available to students at a low cost include laboratory visits, massage therapy appointments, comprehensive eye examinations, pharmacy prescriptions, and radiology ranging from $10 to $50, according to the homepage.

To schedule appointments, CSUEB students can log onto MyPioneerHealth, a secure web portal.

You can use MyPioneerHealth to send protected messages to a medical provider and complete a health history form, according to the Student Health and Counseling website.

“I’ve used MyPioneerHealth to schedule my flu shot immunization,” said Anne Bartlett, a public relations student at CSUEB. “The website is extremely easy to use, and when I went in to the health and counseling center to get my flu shot, I didn’t have to wait longer than five minutes.”

Employees of CSUEB may also receive health services, including both massage therapy and optometry appointments for a fee, according to the Student Health and Counseling homepage.

Health insurance is not required in order to receive the student health and counseling services. Supplemental student health insurance plans are offered through Associated Students Inc, according to the Student Health and Counseling website.

“I didn’t realize the school offered so many beneficial services to students,” said CSUEB communications major Allen Castillo. “I wish I would have known all this when I first got to this campus. I think the university should advertise these services more efficiently to the students.”

“We are trying to use less paper advertising and move toward integration of technology, which may better fit the interests of students,” said Miranda. “We have a Facebook page, e-mail listserv, and a Twitter account. We hope to reach out to students with advertising in a format that is familiar and user-friendly.”

The Hayward campus student health and counseling services hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., according to the homepage.

“The student health and counseling center has flexible hours for students to receive the available services,” said Carly Genzoli, a CSUEB student soccer player. “I am definitely going to take advantage of the massage therapy and nutrition assessments since I play soccer here at the university.”

“The health center is a great value,” said Miranda. “We are conveniently located on campus, students can access our facility between classes, and wait times are much less than if students were accessing an outside health care facility.”

“We regularly assess the needs of CSUEB students and strive to maintain adequate access to services to students,” continued Miranda. “We always look for gaps in service and welcome suggestions by our campus community to better serve student needs.”