Opinion By William James Carter (Graduate Student Researcher)
Through co-design and co-leadership, University Health Services Student Mental Health and I have been working to recognize Neurodiversity and provide better support to Neurodivergent students on campus.
If you had health insurance coverage with UC Berkeley’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) through Wellfleet at some point in 2022, you will be receiving an email from Wellfleet with online instructions on how to access your 1095-B and 1099 HC tax forms, if needed.
Summer and Fall months can bring on HOT weather raising both temperatures and valid concerns about how to stay safe as well as the risk of wildfires and smoke. It is not uncommon that during these months Berkeley and surrounding communities will reach near or triple-digit weather 100F.
Tips For Preventing Heat-Related Illness
The HOF provides in-kind support to help offset charges for UHS services and prescriptions by the following students*:
Effective May 12, 2023, OTC COVID-19 testing is no longer covered and members will pay the retail cost.
For purchases made between January 15, 2022 and May 11, 2023, members may submit a claim for reimburmsent within one year from the purchase date. See below for reimbursement instructions.
The UHS Pharmacy is now selling Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Tests. These easy-to-use nasal swab tests provide results in as quick as 15 minutes. UC Berkeley students can purchase 2 tests per week for $7 each. Currently, students with SHIP insurance have to pay and submit a reimbursement form to Wellfleet. The SHIP office is working with Wellfleet to figure out a way around this but for now, students have to use the Wellfleet process and form. Students who are HOF-eligible may use funds for purchases at the UHS Pharmacy.
You can start, refill or renew oral contraceptives, patch or rings without an appointment through a secure message to the Pharmacy via eTang messaging!
Alex Gomez, Nutrition Outreach Worker
As the weather gets warmer and we all prepare for summer, let’s take some time to appreciate the return of spring and summer produce. Shopping seasonally not only can help with saving money when buying groceries, but it can also boost your nutritional intake as you explore and consume a greater variety of produce. Each fruit and vegetable has its own unique nutritional profile, so taking advantage of the new produce that will become available can introduce different micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals, while also keeping you excited to stay nourished and motivated this season! Personally, I always look forward to the return of papaya and watermelon, as they are tasty and packed with water, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C.
With new produce becoming available in spring and summer, I find myself making Greek Yogurt Fruit Salads since they are quick to make and contain protein, energy, and so much flavor. Many more student-friendly recipes can be found on our recipe website.
A USDA seasonal produce guide offers nutritional information and a list of seasonal produce to inform your decisions. If you feel that you need some extra information or guidance, feel free to talk with a registered dietitian at our free drop-in nutrition counseling!
Weekly testing will not be required for 90 days from the date your testing badge turns green - either 14 days after a final UHS vaccine or 14 days after the recorded date in eTang of a final outside vaccine. If you’ve been vaccinated outside of UHS, you’ll also need to complete at least one surveillance test at UHS to receive a green badge status.
*Vaccinated students living in campus housing or participating in Athletics will still be required to get surveillance testing, but 1x/week, not 2x.
Please note that vaccinated people should still isolate/quarantine and come in for diagnostic testing (at UHS, as scheduled in eTang) if they become symptomatic or come in close contact with a case and live in congregate housing.
Starting April 1, you can (and are strongly encouraged to) upload your outside COVID-19 vaccine records in eTang. Instructions for updating your records.
Sarah Minkow, Registered Dietitian
Food does more than just provide nutrients. It delights our senses, helps us celebrate special occasions, connects us to people, and defines our cultures. We may bake holiday cookies with our families, celebrate move in day with a pizza with our roommates, cry into our Ben and Jerry’s after a break up, or Netflix and chili-straight-out-of-the-can in bed when needing some down time after finals. And that’s OK! Food nourishes our body and soul and can be an important part of our identity.
Growing up, my grandmother would make popovers for us for breakfast when we would visit. Anytime I have a popover I picture being at my grandmother’s house, pulling up a chair to her kitchen table, and enjoying a buttery, still warm out of the oven popover with her. Now that she has passed, I cherish that memory. Do you have a particular food that makes you feel good?
University Health Services joins the rest of UC Berkeley in expressing our compassion and solidarity with the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities in the face of the most recent attacks both locally (in the Bay Area and most recently in Atlanta) and around the globe. We condemn these attacks. These are not isolated events and since the start of the pandemic, we have witnessed a frightening increase in acts of anti-Asian violence, xenophobia, and harassment, which painfully compounds the historic invisibility, systemic erasure, and othering experienced by AAPI communities. These acts of hate are undoubtedly impacting the mental health and well-being of our communities. Direct and indirect exposure to such events can be troubling, concerning, and traumatizing and result in many emotional reactions. UHS is committed to continuing to listen, offer support, and connect with AAPI staff, students, and student organizations in the fight against anti-Asian racism.
Michael Snider, Urgent Care MA, has held many different roles at UHS (and beyond) since March of 2020. In addition to working per-diem at Tang, Michael also works as an EMT at City College of San Francisco (CCSF) catching students up on their routine vaccinations and supporting the nursing staff.
Hello, my fellow Golden Bears! My name is Anisha Dosanjh and I am one of the Nutrition Outreach Workers (NOWs) from University Health Services. I am a third year here at Cal, double majoring in Public Health and Molecular and Cell Biology.
Fiona Beltran, Nutrition Outreach Worker
Let’s talk about Covid-19. Not the virus itself, but how it has changed our lives. Living in the Covid era, there’s little to do. We can do outdoor activities, sit 6 feet away from our friends, make small talk over Zoom and experience all of the excruciating, awkward silence when no one speaks, but where does food fit in?
Grabbing a socially distanced meal or a cup of coffee with a friend is one of the essential activities we can still do in the Covid 19 era. I’ve never looked forward to buying something as simple as a 99 cent Frosty through the drive-through window quite as much as I do now!
Covid has changed our view of food. The highlight of my week now is the walk I take to get a cappuccino in the morning or my weekly lunch date with a friend. Sometimes when I’m stir crazy I decide to run out and grab a snack, thankful for the change of scenery and fresh face as I order, pay, and enjoy. Looking forward to food dates with friends and family or impulsive drive through runs is a new, but a regular part of our lives now. With food taking an unexpected more prominent role, and an unintentional lack of exercise accompanying it due to work from home and online school, food feels different. It’s easy to feel overindulged, or easily full. Waking up 2 minutes before a morning lecture is great, but sometimes we skip breakfast and then satisfy our hunger too readily at lunch and feel bloated and uncomfortable.
Life is not what it used to be and we are continuously having to adapt to a changing world. I know for myself, at least, it's been quite challenging to maneuver school, work, and other commitments. Since school went online I thought it would be easier to juggle more units and my extracurriculars, but I was so wrong! If you happened to do the same thing as me, I am sorry but we will get through this.
Our Social Services team stands in solidarity with communities who are heartbroken, outraged, and in reflection about the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and many other Black lives lost due to police violence. We write this in humility and commitment to supporting our Black students and colleagues, and the larger movements beyond our campus community.