This year, University of Miami students who are sick on a Sunday will have one less problem to worry about. The UM Student Health Center will now be open from noon to 4 p.m. every Sunday.
Previously, the center was open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m, and on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Brandon Gross, now president of Student Government, pushed for the change last year when he was speaker of the Senate.
“I think it is beneficial to the students,” Gross said. “Before, people had to get sick during the week. If something happened on the weekend you had to wait until Monday to use the Health Center.”
Howard Anapol, director of Student Health Services, said the change was primarily due to this year’s policy prohibiting freshmen from having cars. Now, freshmen living on campus can receive health services on Sunday without having to drive.
The additional hours for this first semester were funded by reallocating money the Health Center currently holds. Continuation or expansion of this program will require additional resources.
Currently, the Health Center is planning to have one physician available on Sundays to meet the urgent needs of students.
Students that require routine care are encouraged to visit the center during the week.
On Aug. 31, the first Sunday the Health Center was open, it was very busy despite the change not receiving large amounts of publicity, Anapol said.