The New and Improved, Holland College Health Clinic

Holland College has opened a new clinic to make a more accessible resource for health care. There are many different health resources that students can access to support their needs while studying at Holland College. The Health Clinic has a team ready to assist students in a wide range of medical services.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the school and distance learning was in place, there was a clinic open. It was open once a week for half a day. Holland College had some time to assess what students need while they are studying here and one of the biggest things students needed was access to continuous health care.

Since opening in September, students have been using the health clinic for many things. The clinic functions the same way a family doctor operates. They can do things such as monogram testing, high blood pressure testing, prescriptions, mental health diagnosis and treatment for that as well. They offer many women's health services as well.

The Health Clinic is located on the bottom floor of the Charlottetown Center, Prince of Wales Campus. There are signs all over the building that direct students to where they can find the Health Clinic.

The friendly face that will greet you at the little window is Sydney Ford. Sydney will get you set up with a file so that you can see the nurse practitioner, Tammy Smith.

Tammy spent many years not only working in the medical field but also studying in her field. She received her diploma in nursing in 1990. Through distance learning at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, she received her bachelor's degree of science in nursing in 2014. She received her masters of nursing in 2018 after studying at the University of Prince Edward Island. Tammy has worked in hospitals all over North America. She has worked in different clinics, doctors offices, non profit health organizations, intensive care units. She worked as the manager of the O'Leary Hospital emergency room in O'Leary, PEI, for a few years. She was working at a family physician office in Charlottetown right before being hired here at Holland College.

(Tammy Smith (left) & Sydney Ford (right) standing outside of the Health Clinic)

The Health Clinic is a safe and inviting area for any student. The services offered at the clinic are to ensure students have access to a convenient clinic. On Tuesdays, the clinic is open until 8 p.m so that if students have classes they can schedule an evening appointment to have their needs met.

Holland College offers many services for students. The list of Health Services offered can be found here.

The clinic has been steady with service since opening. A lot of the clinics time is spent conducting rapid Covid-19 tests. There is usually an appointment open every day. Students are able to do walk-in appointments for certain services. Things like getting a STI, (sexually transmitted infection), test does not require an appointment. If an appointment is required students can call the Health Clinic at (902)-566-9392 or send an email over to npclinic@hollandcollege.com. The team at the Health Clinic is very understanding of all situations and wants students to take advantage of their services.

The clinic will be open until Dec. 22. The clinic will shut down for the holidays and reopen on Jan. 4. Tammy reminded students to make sure they have their travel plans set up to avoid issues when leaving for the holidays. She hopes to see some new faces in the new year.

The Health Clinic is open Monday - Friday, if a student is looking to book an appointment call (902)-566-9392 or send an email to npclinic@hollandcollege.com.

(Written & Photographed by: Marley Durant)