The school’s health clinic on the corner of Anderson Street and Stoughton Rd. will host an open house on Oct. 13 from 1-7 p.m. All students are welcome to attend at the clinic trailer. Care at the clinic is provided by Group Health Cooperative (GHC).

Scot Vesterdahl, director of fitness health and recreation at Madison Area Technical College, said that the purpose of the grand opening is to help students become more aware of the clinic. He hopes that as many students as possible will visit to see how the trailer looks and to gain information about the services provided. He also hopes the open house will bring recognition for all the students that helped make it possible.

“I just think we’re really, really excited at the college here, and we’re working with a group of students that I think had tremendous foresight to think a couple of years down the road and fund this whole concept to help students.” Vesterdahl said. “We know so many students don’t have health insurance and feel like they don’t have any option when they don’t feel well. It stands to reason you won’t come to class, or if you come to class, you don’t perform as you normally would if you don’t feel well.”

The clinic has seen good activity so far. The clinic has seen people from varied backgrounds. The clinic has seen people with part-time jobs, full-time jobs as well as people with families and the traditional student.

However, even with the good activity, Vesterdahl would like to see it busy every second it is open. With flu season coming up, he expects to see the number of drop-in patients increase. He feels it is important that students know they have a place to go.

“It’s so easy to come in, get to your classes and leave because you’ve got other things you’ve got to do. Sometimes you don’t know what’s available,” Vesterdahl said.

Health education program coordinator Anna Marie Hoffman has been promoting the clinic in the classrooms for the past few weeks. The clinic has been a passion of her’s and she’s glad to see the word get out.

“For me, it’s information and it’s a celebration. It’s been something that we’ve needed that I have really, really been passionate about. So I’m extremely happy that this is here for our students, and it is going to make a big difference. I think it really will help our students stay in school and get healthy,” Hoffman said.

Students will have a chance to meet and greet with the nurse practioners and the medical assistant that work at the clinic. This will give students the chance to know the actual people they would see as patients.

The health clinic plans to have a sign installed that will be seen easily from nearby streets. There are currently four parking spaces for students that are using the clinic. While the clinic is in a trailer until the college’s new addition is finished, much work has been put into its temporary home.

“I think people will be very pleasantly surprised when they go inside. It’s every bit a clinic you would expect (when) walking into a four-star clinic in the community,” Hoffman said.

The open house will offer prize drawings every hour on the hour, enticing students to attend. There will be prizes donated from the fitness center, the bookstore, Olivia’s Gifts, Athletics and GHC. Also, little items such as pens will be given away throughout the day. Students will not need to be present in order to claim their prize.

Information about the health clinic can be found in the A-Z index as well as in the student center on MyMadisonCollege.

“We make sure you’re in class and that you feel a little bit better,” Vesterdahl said. “We’re really excited about having worked with students and GHC to pull this off and make things better for our student body.”