DeKALB — Northwestern Medicine is now overseeing management of student health care as of Jan. 7, and students should be aware of some of the changes they may encounter upon visiting Health Services.

Among the changes, students will  be able to receive walk-in appointments and Northwestern Medicine’s system will allow for the transferring of medical records when students are referred to seek care outside of Health Services.

The clinic is located near the corner of Lucinda Ave. and Garden Road. and has implemented an extension of hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to its webpage.

NIU’s new partnership with Northwestern Medicine will make accessing healthcare much easier for many students through the addition of new services and standardized operating procedures.

The partnership contracts Northwestern Medicine to provide and manage healthcare services on campus and went into effect Tuesday, Jan. 7. The official agreement occurred Nov. 15 and was announced later the same day.

NIU will pay Northwestern $1.9 million annually, through funds collected from the Student Health Fee, and $400,000 will be saved every year by the university upon partnering with Northwestern. In addition, the fee itself will be reduced by 5 percent, according to the Nov. 15 news release.

NIU spokesperson Joe King said healthcare services will still be operating at the same location and during the same hours but with added walk-in times for students unable to schedule appointments.

Related: Board approves partnership with Northwestern Medicine to assume management of Health Services

The first phase of the partnership began July 1, as Northwestern was contracted to provide services for NIU student athletes.

As the partnership goes into effect, some prominent operational changes to Student Health Services will occur. One of the biggest changes is the availability of third party billing, which now allows all insurance plans to be used at the clinic.

Another feature of the partnership is a referral system pilot, which will put students in touch with area specialists and retain records in a streamlined electronic database. Students using Northwestern Medicine services will also be able to receive care from affiliated clinics in Naperville and Chicago.

Jay Anderson, president of Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital, 1 Kish Hospital Dr., said he is eager to undertake the partnership in a news release.

“The student population at NIU is a vital and vibrant segment of the DeKalb community, and we are proud to extend our services to meet the university’s health needs,” Anderson said.

The partnership has not gone forward without controversy. A student-led petition calling for a halt to the agreement circulated November through December, due mainly to Student Health Services switching to a general practitioner model to conduct primary care, immunizations, lab services, radiology and women’s health screenings instead of retaining specialized staff members.

The petition claimed women’s health services would be discontinued altogether. However, Northwestern will still provide the procedures, though through a physician instead of a gynecologist. A physician-led clinic is common practice among healthcare providers.

In regards to staffing, King said 13 full-time employees will be working at Student Health Services. Of the 13, five have been retained from the original staff. He said layoffs occurred mainly for administrative and non-medical positions, as Northwestern will provide their own staff to fulfill those duties.

The following is an interview conducted with Mike Stang, assistant vice president of student affairs. It has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Q: How did NIU decide Northwestern was the right fit?

A: We recognize their national reputation. They serve a large percentage of our students, as they have a very broad network in the northern third of Illinois, so it seemed like a natural fit for our students.

Q: How much feedback has been gained from students in deciding to go forward with the process?

A: We’ve been communicating with students since probably the beginning of the summer. The first group of students that were directly impacted were student athletes, because Northwestern began to serve them as of July 1. We’ve also been engaging with students throughout the fall semester in preparation for this.

Q: What services will be available for women’s health?

A: The same services we provided before. It will be operated by Northwestern at this point, and the services will be provided by trade professionals.

Q: What’s been the most significant change in operations affecting daily procedures?

A: Northwestern will be able to offer walk-in services as well as appointments. They’re going to use their electronic medical record system so students who are already in the Northwestern network will have their records available to providers when they come. Those records will also transfer when they leave the university, so they won’t have to go back and request for records if they stay with Northwestern. The referral system will be streamlined, to refer students to other providers within the network. Beginning in the fall, Northwestern will be piloting the opportunity for students to use clinics in Naperville and Chicago. And of course, all these services will be offered to student athletes with the Athletic Department, which they were not receiving before.

Q: What should students keep in mind about the partnership?

A: In many ways, things will work the same. They will continue to use the services there with their student health fees, so many of the services will be at little or no cost.

Q: Of what value is the partnership to the university?

A: I think it’s significant. One, we now have a provider whose primary purpose is to provide healthcare, so that’s critically important. Additionally, there is a strong reputation Northwestern brings that will support the university brand and assure students they are well taken care of.

Q: How does the partnership factor into the university’s plan over the next five or ten years? Are there any specific goals intended?

A: This is a result of the university’s program prioritization process and one of the many outcomes in terms of enhancing the student experience at an affordable cost. We believe it will impact and improve both student recruitment and retention as the partnership develops.