At Highmark Center, Physical and Mental Health Experts Are Uniquely Positioned To Meet Student Needs

Carnegie Mellon University students are known for their dedication, innovation and pursuit of excellence across a wide range of disciplines. Whether they’re engineering groundbreaking technologies, creating stunning works of art or leading impactful research, CMU students consistently push the boundaries of what’s possible.

To sustain such high levels of performance and creativity, optimal physical and mental health are essential. The new Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics(opens in new window) brings together an integrated network of professionals across an expanded University Health Services(opens in new window) (UHS) clinic and a new facility for Counseling and Psychological Services(opens in new window) (CaPS), who are uniquely attuned to the needs of college students. The building also houses Community Health and Well-Being(opens in new window) and the Office of Wellness and Meaning-Making Programs(opens in new window), which offer a variety of wellness resources including massage, meditation and spiritual spaces.

“Our students are incredibly high achieving,” said Dr. Christine Andrews, executive director of UHS. “And they’re so kind. They’re a joy to work with. Never before have we been as equipped to support them as we are now, with four key departments under one roof. It opens up wonderful opportunities to collaborate instantly together to provide our students with comprehensive support through a holistic care model.”

In addition to UHS’ expanded clinical space, its Health Promotion team has a dedicated space on the fourth floor next to CaPs.

Students can even schedule a 1:1 meeting with a Peer Health Advocate(opens in new window) (PHA) to talk about health and well-being questions and issues. PHAs are certified peer educators and trained in trauma-informed care and can get students connected to both campus and Pittsburgh resources. Health Promotion also oversees the UHS Wellness to Go Vending Initiative(opens in new window) and added a third campus location on the Highmark Center’s first floor for convenient access to over-the-counter health care products.

What does the expansion of University Health Services mean for CMU students?

The new UHS clinic caters to the diverse health care needs of the Tartan community in a variety of ways. It starts with making visitors feel comfortable and safe, whether they need a quiet spot while they wait to seek treatment or a space where they can feel secure that they aren’t being unnecessarily exposed to illnesses while waiting for an appointment.

“The sick waiting room, and all of the triage rooms and the exam rooms are negative pressure. So, if we have somebody with a respiratory illness, we can evaluate them in a much safer setup,” Andrews said. A negative pressure exam room is designed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The air pressure inside the room is lower than the air pressure outside. “This means that when the door is opened, air flows into the room rather than out of it. This setup ensures that any potentially contaminated air inside the room does not escape into other areas of the building. Instead, the air is filtered and safely exhausted outside.”

In addition to more exam rooms, the expanded clinic includes a larger laboratory which allows staff to have separate areas for coordinating patient care, conducting tests, and dispensing and distributing medications.

“Before this new lab, our pharmaceuticals dispensary and our nurses station were in the same room. We were all on top of each other trying to work,” Andrews said. “Now, we have a separate room for all the medications that we dispense. We have a room to do our microscopy and our rapid testing. And the nurses have a comfortable, beautiful, open space where they can do their charting and wait to help the next patient.”

Andrews is also looking forward to the ease of running large-scale flu vaccination clinics in the space. Flu vaccine clinics were previously held in vacant conference rooms in the Cohon University Center.

Integrating physical and mental health services on campus

A dedicated space for CaPS in the new building provides a safe and confidential environment for students to address personal and academic concerns with professionals. A rooftop Wellness Garden offers students a tranquil space to connect with nature, supporting their mental and emotional health.

“Physical and mental health go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other,” Andrews said. “The number of students that we see entering college now who have a diagnosis of either depression anxiety, or ADHD and are on medications already has significantly increased, and so there's a need for us to continue to be very attentive to our staffing so we can make sure we are continuing to meet students’ needs.”

Viviana Ferrer-Medina, Psy.D., assistant director of outreach, prevention and education in CaPS, said good mental health can be hard to define.

“It’s part of being human for our emotions to fluctuate and for our thoughts to sometimes also change depending on how we feel. Your way of coping might be different from mine, but that doesn’t mean that I am not healthy compared to you,” she said.

Ferrer-Medina invites students to visit the counseling center at the first sign of distress, or even if they’re simply curious about the way they go about functioning in the world or perhaps just want to get to know themselves better. 

She recommends that students assess their baseline behavior in the way they sleep, in the way they eat, in their mood, their sociability, the way they drink and in their relationships with people.

“If you see a change in your baseline behavior, it may be an indication that you are under distress,” she said. “So, we’re asking students that if they notice that kind of change in themselves, then call us right away.”

Elevating campus nutrition: Shake Smart smoothies are now available at Highmark Center

Eating a healthy diet is important for maintaining optimal physical and mental health, Andrews said. Students can stop by the Highmark Center for healthy eating options at Shake Smart(opens in new window).  

Shake Smart is a health-focused fast-casual concept that specializes in nutritious and delicious blended drinks, acai bowls and other healthy on-the-go food options. Founded with the vision of providing healthy convenience, Shake Smart offers a wide-ranging menu that includes protein-packed shakes, fruit-forward smoothies and various bowls designed to fuel an active lifestyle.

“It's on the second floor, and it's super popular because it has some really nice, healthy and tasty choices for students,” Andrews said. “The line for it often extends down the stairs.”

A nutritious education kitchen designed to enhance students’ understanding of healthy eating and cooking will soon be up and running in the concession stand area on game days. The kitchen will serve as a demonstration space where students can participate in workshops and classes focused on nutrition, meal preparation and healthy eating habits.

“Our overall goal is to equip students with the tools they need to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle during their time here at Carnegie Mellon and beyond,” Andrews said.