UB Student Health Services

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at UB's new Student Health Services center on Maple Road, August 2022. UB officials including Vice President for Student Life Brian Hamluk (center right) marked the opening of the facility, which replaced the clinic's longtime home in Michael Hall on South Campus.

UB Student Health Services is the primary health care provider for students at the University at Buffalo. Part of UB's Division of Student Life, it offers medical services to all registered undergraduate, graduate and professional students, funded largely by a mandatory health fee. Student Health Services provides general health care, including routine physical exams, treatment for acute illnesses and injuries, sexual health consultations, immunizations, an in-house medical lab, travel medicine advice, and other basic services. Care is delivered by a professional staff of board-certified physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and medical support staff. Additional wellness resources such as counseling and health promotion programs complement the clinical services.

Facilities and Location

For many years, UB's Student Health Clinic operated in Michael Hall, a former dormitory on the South Campus. However, that mid-20th century facility was determined inadequate for the university's needs - it offered limited space (capping annual visits at around 24,000) and was outdated by modern healthcare standards. In 2022, UB Student Health Services moved to a new, larger facility at 4350 Maple Road in Amherst, NY, about half a mile from the North Campus. UB is leasing the single-story, 13,000-square-foot building as a temporary home while planning a future on-campus wellness center. The Maple Road Center opened in August 2022 and features 20 examination rooms (including dedicated treatment and isolation rooms), an in-house pharmacy, and a lab capable of rapid testing for conditions like HIV, flu, strep and COVID-19. The modern facility allows separation of "sick" and "well" patients to reduce contagion risk. It also offers more comfortable, spacious seating and clinical areas, providing a better student health experience.

UB provides transportation to the off-campus health center via shuttles from both North Campus and South Campus. The center also has ample parking for students who drive. Students must schedule an appointment before visiting - walk-in visits are not accommodated. Operating hours are typically weekdays from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, with extended hours on Mondays from 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM during the Fall and Spring semesters - however, the clinic closes from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM during the second and last Thursday of each month. After-hours protocols are in place, such that an on-call nurse line is available when the clinic is closed.

Funding and Access

UB Student Health Services is funded by the Student Health Services Fee which was about $219.50 per semester for full-time undergraduates in 2023. This fee supports Student Health Services as well as counseling, health promotion and accessibility programs on campus. Due to the funding model, many services are provided at no additional cost to the students or at reduced cost. The fee enables offerings such as Wellness Coaching, nutrition consultations, mental health referrals and other health education initiatives to be free for students.

Recent Developments

The move to the Maple Road site was described by UB administrators as a step toward dramatically improving student wellness infrastructure. Brian Hamluk, UB's Vice President for Student Life, noted that students had long desired upgraded health facilities and the COVID-19 pandemic showed the need for better space and ventilation. The Maple Road center's lease is expected to last at least five years while UB proceeds with plans for a comprehensive on-campus Wellness and Recreation Center. The future facility, envisioned as a four-story complex on North Campus, would unite Student Health Services with Counseling Services, wellness programs, fitness facilities (gyms, a pool, track, courts) under one roof where the UB Bookstore is (as of 2025). Design and funding efforts for the new center were delayed by the pandemic but resumed in 2021-2022, at which point UB had looked at completion by 2026. In the meantime, the Maple Road clinic has enabled UB to expand healthcare capacity and infection-control measures (such as negative-pressure exam rooms for airborne isolation) beyond what was possible in the old Michael Hall space.

Student Feedback and Criticism

Despite the upgraded facility, some students have expressed frustration with aspects of Student Health Services. Common criticisms include the lack of online appointment scheduling and no allowance for walk-in visits. The clinic's policy of closing during certain Thursday mornings has caused complaints when students are greeted with a recording instead of a way to schedule an appointment. Students on r/UBreddit have noted difficulties including long holds on the phone, delayed referrals, billing errors and feeling generally under-served by the campus health services. For example, one student reported being prescribed a medication they were allergic to (despite a previous note on medical records) and being "billed $600 for an advertised 'free' STD test'". Other students have complained about the health services being off campus.

UB administrators have acknowledged the need for improvement. The student health fee has been used, in addition to clinical services, for counseling and health promotion, and UB continues to adapt services in response to student needs. A Wellness Task Force and student input have been put together for moving forward with a North Campus health facility.