{
  "id": 18219223,
  "title": "A new campus health building at Aims Community College seeks to address a gap in student needs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/a-new-campus-health-building-at-aims-community-college-seeks-to",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-05T00:55:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Chalkbeat",
    "slug": "chalkbeat",
    "url": "https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2026/11/05/aims-community-college-health-clinic-seeks-to-address-student-need/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Aims Community College in Greeley has invested $18.4 million to build a 30,000-square-foot Student Health and Wellness Center, aiming to address a gap in student needs. Roughly half of the college's students lack insurance or are underinsured, while half also face mental health challenges. The center, opened in August, provides low-cost mental, dental, and physical health services. Just 16% of two-year institutions offer on-campus medical services, compared with about half of four-year universities. The new facility aims to offer students on-campus healthcare options, a one-stop shop for additional services, and a comfortable environment to reduce the burden on students.\n\nLarry Pakowski, vice president for student affairs, stated that the goal is to help students focus on their academic goals by taking some of the burden off them. The clinic on the ground floor operates four days a week, run by Sunrise Community Health, and offers financial assistance programs and payment plans based on students' affordability. The top level of the building provides five days a week access to therapists and an addiction resource center staffed by students, along with relaxation spaces and private rooms for breastfeeding mothers.\n\nThe demand for services has increased since the pandemic, with a 17% rise in students requesting basic needs assistance and a 46% increase in mental health counseling visits since the building opened. Since its opening, the center has seen a 17% increase in students requesting basic needs assistance and a 46% increase in mental health counseling visits compared to the same time last year. Student Lyndon Reyez, a single mother, recently used the clinic's services for herself and her daughter, praising the convenience and immediate help she received. The building has normalized seeking help for students, according to Arty's Recovery Connection worker Kady Hanson.",
  "summary": "Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name. About half of Aims Community College’s students report they don’t have insurance, are underinsured, or on Medicaid. Half also say they face mental health challenges. To address those student needs ,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}