Feeling ill is unpleasant, and the Colonial Health Center sometimes does not make the experience any better.

More than a dozen students alleged frustrations last week with their CHC visits, saying the center lacks sufficient mental and physical resources. The health center’s rocky history of administrative turnover and unlicensed professionals does not make the allegations any less valid, but students should still not feel like their go-to for health care is unreliable.

We already know the center needs a permanent leader, but officials need to hold themselves accountable for student complaints against the CHC. The University must solicit in-person feedback and institute long-lasting leadership to ensure students are comfortable visiting the health center.

Students alleged that they are often left feeling like CHC staff do not care about their medical concerns or address their complaints because the staff conducts themselves unprofessionally. Students who are feeling ill deserve to be taken seriously, but the CHC falls short. On top of students’ allegations, officials could implement some fixes that may alleviate at least some of the issues.

The CHC currently charges students for therapy sessions past six visits. Although officials were right to free up some sessions during an overhaul two years ago, charging students to pay for any number of sessions could discourage students from seeking help. Students who are repeatedly seeking mental health therapy should not be told to pay up, because the expense could be unaffordable for someone who needs long-lasting care.

The CHC also operates under relatively limited hours. The center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday for urgent medical care from 9 a.m. to noon. The hours are not conducive to students’ busy schedules, especially because students have classes and work during business hours. Off-campus urgent care options, like MedStar PromptCare – open until 8 p.m. – are available later than the CHC, and the University should match the hours of other local clinics. In emergency situations, students should know the CHC is always a resource.

The center’s history of turnover also plagues the CHC. There is no permanent director, and students alleged they wait too long for care and do not receive adequate responses to complaints. The lack of consistent leadership could make students feel that there is no accountability for handling student complaints. Although we have known for some time that the health center needs a new director, students should know in the meantime that their complaints are being adequately addressed.

Students currently fill out a short survey at the checkout line to provide feedback at the health center. But the survey is ineffective because students may not feel comfortable writing down confidential issues in the waiting area immediately after their appointment. Students also said they do not hear back about their complaints, which could lead students to feel unheard. Instead of providing a survey in the health center, officials could send an email follow-up that students can fill out in the comfort of their room.

GW could also consider hiring a patient advocate that would act as a liaison between students and officials, similar to a patient advocate used at New York University. The hire could directly speak with students about their concerns and report back to officials about specific issues experienced during appointments.

The CHC needs to ensure that students get the level of care they need. Although there is no permanent leader at the moment, the CHC could and should take steps to ensure students’ allegations are being handled. Expanding the center’s hours and implementing effective means of providing feedback would help students at least feel that their concerns are being heard.

The health center’s current state is not tied to one specific issue – it is a widespread problem that must be addressed one step at a time to provide students with the health care they deserve.

The editorial board is composed of Hatchet staff members and operates separately from the newsroom. This week’s piece was written by opinions editor Kiran Hoeffner-Shah and contributing opinions editor Hannah Thacker based on conversations with The Hatchet’s editorial board, which is composed of assistant copy editor Natalie Prieb, managing director Leah Potter, contributing design editor Olivia Columbus, sports editor Emily Maise and culture editor Sidney Lee.