In 2015, Missouri State University students voted yes to pay a fee for a new health and wellness center on campus. The 39,000-square-foot, three-story facility is now complete and open for business.

The new center sits on the corner of Bear Boulevard and Florence Avenue. Its dedication ceremony is set for 11 a.m. April 9 in the center. The event is free and open to the public.

According to Dr. Frederick Muegge, director of health and wellness services at MSU, the modern and bright $13 million center has more than double the space of the old one. It is proof the university values health and wellness for its students, employees and families.

“This legacy building with enhanced features will allow the Missouri State community to continue to receive the best health and wellness care for generations to come,” Muegge said.

Funds for the facility

MSU paid for the project mostly with the sale of bonds. The student-approved fee of $29 per semester covers the annual bond payments.

The project also received gifts from several private donors, including a major gift. MSU will reveal the donor at the dedication ceremony.

Features and amenities

The new center houses the Counseling Center formerly based in Carrington Hall, a sports medicine clinic and the Dr. Lisa Drabinowicz Women’s Center. It is named in honor of Drabinowicz, an MSU physician who was killed in a car crash in 1994.

Other services include: 

• A full-service pharmacy with drive-through
• A dedicated travel clinic
• 33 examination rooms
• On-site laboratory
• Consultant space for clinics, such as dermatology, gynecology, orthopedics, dietetics, diabetic counseling, psychiatry and others
• Expanded hours to include an evening clinic and a Saturday morning clinic

Six full-time physicians in family medicine and internal medicine work at the center. There are also consultants in other specialties who come in.

Student body president Brandon McCoy said the new center is a worthwhile resource for current and prospective students.

“It gives peace of mind to students knowing that we can obtain quality, affordable care in many areas of health and wellness—all without having to even leave campus,” McCoy added.