Northwestern University to partner with Northwestern Medicine to deliver comprehensive health service for students
As Northwestern University ramps up its plans for the start of the new academic year, it is partnering with Northwestern Medicine (NM) on a multi-year agreement to manage the University’s Health Service in Evanston.
Starting Sept. 1, NM will manage and oversee the clinical operations of the Northwestern University Health Service (NUHS), which handles more than 30,000 annual visits from students on both university campuses. NM currently provides health services for Northwestern University students on the Chicago campus as part of a longstanding partnership.
The expanded partnership is expected to provide a number of benefits to students, including use of a common medical record, access to expanded medical services, and use of the MyNM® app. There are no changes to the Northwestern University Student Health Insurance Plan (NU-SHIP) as a result of the partnership.
NM will support students returning to campus and provide on-site COVID-19 testing for students, faculty and staff as well as support the University’s contact tracing, quarantine and case management processes. NM also will act as a medical advisor to University leadership in navigating the pandemic.
The University will continue to oversee its behavioral and mental health services, including Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), as well as Health Promotion and Wellness (HPaW). Student Affairs will continue to oversee the mission and effectiveness of the student health service at the University.
“This partnership will connect our award-winning Northwestern University campus experts in collegiate health with the nationally ranked medical experts at Northwestern Medicine to provide barrier-free, inclusive and exemplary health care for our students,” said Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, vice president for Student Affairs at Northwestern University. “We are excited to partner with NM in order to provide this state-of-the-art service; our students deserve nothing less.”
In May, NM signed a lease to occupy the storefront at 1630 Sherman Ave. in Evanston, which previously housed the now-closed Barnes & Noble bookstore. NM already operates an Immediate Care Center and outpatient facility at 1704 Maple Ave. in Evanston and provides access to virtual care. With the expansion of NM to the Evanston campus, students will benefit by having more choices about when, how and where they receive their medical care.
“We are proud to provide the Northwestern University community convenient access to Northwestern Medicine on campus and in Evanston” said Dean M. Harrison, president and chief executive officer of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. “We understand, now more than ever, how important it is to have access to world-class physicians and a nationally recognized academic health system.”