Campus healthcare options expand

The Faculty Group Practice at MMC serves students, as well as FIU faculty and staff, alumni and the general public

FIU students have a new campus healthcare option. The Faculty Group Practice (FGP) at Modesto A. Maidique Campus provides the perfect complement to the care already offered through University Health Services.

While basic medical attention from University Health Services at either campus is available at no additional charge to students—all of whom pay the required health fee as part of tuition each semester—FGP accepts insurance. Students can visit the FGP for services not available through University Health Services, such as x-rays and ultrasound examinations. Students with chronic illnesses that require oversight by a physician, such as diabetes, may also find the FGP a great way to maintain an ongoing relationship with a medical professional.

The FIU Health Faculty Group Practice is open to all.

“We want to be a ‘medical home,’” says Stephanie E. Schmidt, COO of FIU’s HealthCare Network, an outgrowth of FIU’s Wertheim College of Medicine. “Students can set up a traditional [doctor-patient] relationship at the Faculty Group Practice.” She adds that students can easily continue that relationship after graduation as the FGP is open to the community at large.

Students can either walk in or make appointments. In addition to providing primary care, the FGP schedules weekly visits with specialists in areas such as pulmonology and rheumatology, with more being added in the near future. The FGP is staffed by College of Medicine faculty and boasts state-of-the-art exam rooms and the latest diagnostic technology in a bright, spacious facility.

Monique Armbrister, who works as a marketing communications specialist for FIU’s HealthCare Network, offered a parent’s perspective on the FGP, which her son recently used. “I live 20 minutes away, but if I lived two or three hours away, I’d feel very comfortable knowing that he has access to a comprehensive medical examination and full-scale service. It’s reassuring.”

And even when students take advantage of offerings at University Health Services, they may be referred by medical personnel there to the FGP when necessary.

“There are students who don’t have transportation,” Schmidt explains. “When the Faculty Group Practice did not exist, University Health had to send them to the community for any necessary medical care. There was no other choice.” Now, with the addition of the FGP—which opened as a free-standing facility in 2011—“We’re trying to build an integrated level of medical care.” The FGP also refers patients to local resources, which include area hospitals with whom FIU’s College of Medicine has affiliations.

The FGP is located on the north side of campus and open during the day Monday through Friday, with extended hours on Monday and Thursday evenings. In addition to students, FIU faculty and staff, alumni and any other adult members of the local community are welcome. For more information or to make an appointment, call 305-FIU-DOCS (305-348-3627) or go to health.fiu.edu.