University of Arizona is a National Winner of the 2020 Active Minds Healthy Campus Award

Feb. 21, 2020
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University of Arizona Recognized as One of the Healthiest Campuses
Among U.S. Colleges and Universities

University of Arizona is a National Winner of the 2020 Active Minds Healthy Campus Award

WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 21, 2020 – Today, the University of Arizona was recognized as one of the healthiest college campuses in the nation from Active Minds, the nation’s premier nonprofit for supporting the mental health awareness and education for students. As one of the recipients of the prestigious 2020 Active Minds Healthy Campus Award, the University of Arizona has proven to demonstrate excellence in prioritizing and promoting the health and well-being of their students. 

“Our college health service ranks among the very best in the nation and we take pride in having the very first fully credited college health center in the country,” said Robert Robbins, president of the University of Arizona. “The compassionate nature of our campus community is perhaps our greatest strength though. Our staff and faculty choose to care and put the health and wellbeing of our students first.”

Students enrolled at schools that focus on campus health often find that the programs and services offered there are part of the fabric of the campus community. 

“I often find myself in a place of great privilege in terms of the emphasis our university and Campus Health Service puts on championing student voices, securing and wisely using available resources, and providing accessible clinical services,” said Arizona student Colin Tidwell.

The Healthy Campus Award involves an extensive application process as well as multiple endorsements and interviews. Each applicant is assessed across eight criteria, with winners chosen by a panel of prominent researchers and health and higher education experts.

“The University of Arizona stands out for its integrated model that provides comprehensive, quality, and accessible care for its students,” said Alison Malmon, executive director and founder of Active Minds. “Arizona is a model for the impact colleges can have by prioritizing a campus culture that promotes and protects the physical and mental health of its students.”

The University of Arizona joins four other colleges and universities in receiving the Healthy Campus Award: Santa Monica College, Skidmore College, University of Richmond, and Denison University. 

This year’s recipients represent a range of campuses that operate within varying contexts and challenges. Together they demonstrate how institutions of all sizes and types can create healthy communities that allow every student the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

Established in 1885, the University of Arizona is one of the nation’s top public universities and is widely recognized as a student-centric campus. Arizona is a vibrant campus community composed of over 45,000 undergraduate and graduate students and prides itself on offering resources that support their diverse student population.

The well-being of all students is a priority for the university, and it shows. The review panel for the Healthy Campus Award cited the following innovative practices in particular:

  • Integrated Health Services: The university has an integrated, holistic health model that provides comprehensive, accessible, and quality care for all students. Under Campus Health, students have access to services that integrate medical, mental health, and health education.
  • Long-Running Campus Health Survey: Arizona’s strong emphasis on assessment and impacts is illustrated through its Health & Wellness Survey, one of the longest-running campus-specific health surveys in the nation. 
  • Deep Commitment to Equal Health Opportunities: Arizona was the first public university to bring on-demand, text-based primary health care to students through an innovative partnership with 98point6, a secure app that connects students with physicians 24/7 at zero cost to students.

The Healthy Campus Award is made possible through the generous support of Peg’s Foundation. To sign up for the 2020 Healthy Campus Webinar on March 10, visit activeminds.org/HCAWebinar2020.

About the Healthy Campus Award: The Active Minds Healthy Campus Award recognizes colleges and universities that are leading the way in prioritizing student health. It recognizes schools that provide access to quality healthcare and champions institutions that not only serve students’ physical health but give equal priority and investment to mental health.

About Active Minds: Active Minds is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults. Active Minds has a presence on over 800 college, university, and high school campuses nationwide, and is powered by a robust Chapter Network, the nationally acclaimed Send Silence Packing® exhibit, and inspiring Active Minds Speakers. Active Minds is creating communities of support and saving lives. To help change the conversation about mental health, visit activeminds.org.

 

Contact: 

David Salafsky, DrPH, MPH
Interim Co-Executive Director
Director, Health Promotion and Preventive Services
UA Campus Health Service
(520) 621-8297
salafsky@email.arizona.edu(link sends e-mail)
@UAZCampusHealth

Active Minds
Contact: Amanda Horn
amandahorn@activeminds.org(link sends e-mail)
Phone: 202-332-9595 X103