Editor's Note: Mary Alice Serafini, director of the Pat Walker Health Center, offers a note of encouragement to students and a reminder of the resources available to keep you healthy and well.

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Dear U of A Community,

On behalf of the entire Pat Walker Health Center, we want to praise your efforts over the past several weeks adjusting to this temporary way of life. We hope you are discovering new ways to learn, collaborate and engage with your peers and colleagues, as well as access impactful university programs and resources.

As we continue to practice responsible social distancing measures, we must remember to take care of ourselves and continue supporting our community. Our aggressive efforts — as difficult as they may be — must not come at the expense of our health and well-being.

Things feel different in the world right now, but what hasn't changed is that we are a community.

Pat Walker Health Center Remains Open

In these uncertain times, we want to let you know we are here for you. The health center remains open for medical services, but has instituted temporary preventive and operational measures to keep patients and staff safe. These changes can be found at health.uark.edu.

The health center can also screen and facilitate testing for COVID-19.  

Regardless of your medical needs, we ask you please call 479-575-4451 to schedule appointments.

Telehealth Services

At this time, we are encouraging the university community to use Telehealth services to help support social distancing efforts and limit exposure to COVID-19. The health center has worked tirelessly to expand access to key programs and services through a variety of Telehealth platforms.

• Medical Services: Using HIPAA-compliant video conferencing, TeleVisits let you access health care services while in the comfort of your own residence hall, off-campus residence or other private location. A TeleVisit offers some of the same benefits of an in-person appointment — your provider can assess your symptoms, recommend a plan of care, and prescribe medicine.

• Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS): During this unprecedented and unique public health crisis, it is normal to experience a wide-range of emotions. Students having trouble managing their concerns can reach out for help at 479-575-5276.

• Virtual Coffee Hour: CAPS has launched a new informal outreach initiative to give students the opportunity to meet different CAPS staff, ask questions about what's on their mind, and engage in other topics including anxiety, fear, self-care, substance use, issues of diversity and others. Virtual Coffee Hour is held daily at 10 a.m. (CDT) on Zoom.

• Anxiety Workbook & Webinar: CAPS has published a self-guided COVID-19 Anxiety Workbook that helps manage increased stress and anxiety. They are also hosting daily COVID-19 Anxiety Webinars for students to discuss anxiety related to the COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing, and more. The COVID-19 Anxiety webinar is held daily at 3 p.m. (CDT) on Zoom.

• Mindfulness Outreach: A one-time virtual outreach event where students can drop-in to learn about Mindfulness and practice a Guided Meditation. The Zoom meeting is April 14 at 2 p.m.

• TeleWellness Coaching & Resources: Wellness & Health Promotion is offering online wellness coaching through email and Zoom. Students, faculty and staff can sign-up for free wellness coaching online or by emailing wellness@uark.edu. Our Wellness team has also created an online wellness calendar and other resources to help you stay engaged with your well-being. Some of the resources include live yoga, mindfulness, tai chi and more!

There are many ways to support your own health and wellness. Our team remains more committed than ever to help you during these challenging times. I encourage you to learn more about the different university resources available, and to reach out if you have questions, or are unsure where to begin.

Support Each Other

It's unclear what we may face in the weeks ahead, but we know COVID-19 will test our capacities to be kind, generous, and to see beyond ourselves and our own interests. These are confusing times, but we must proceed with wisdom, compassion and goodwill.

It is understandable these significant and aggressive actions can lead to increased anxiety and stress. But it is equally important to remember, we are all in this together. We must share the responsibility of keeping our community safe, and supporting one another to the best of our abilities.

Please take care of yourself and those around you.

Sincerely,

Mary Alice Serafini,
Executive Director of the Pat Walker Health Center
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs