New Student Health Clinic Emphasizes an ‘Integrated, Accessible, Equitable’ Model of Care

Tufts University has taken a foundational step in reimagining its support of community health and well-being with the opening of the Boston Student and Occupational Health Clinic on the Boston health sciences campus. It marked the occasion with a ribbon cutting on June 4.

"For the first time, we're bringing together all student health services within a single purpose-built clinic," said Michael Jordan, A94, M98, associate vice president of University Health Services, professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, and attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographical Medicine at Tufts Medical Center. "This reflects a deliberate move toward an integrated, accessible, equitable model of care aligned with the needs of students and employees."

The nearly 3,000-square-foot clinic on the first floor of the Biomedical Research and Public Health Building at 136 Harrison Avenue brings together university-provided student health, occupational health, and counseling and mental health services in a single, coordinated model to improve continuity of care and reduce barriers to access. (For faculty and staff, services will focus on occupational health, including workplace illness and injury evaluation, exposure management, and same-day acute care for work-related health needs.)

"With the new clinic, care will be provided in one centralized space," Jordan said. "It's designed specifically to meet the needs of health sciences students, who require immunizations, medical clearances, and exposure management in labs and clinical settings."

For Mike Howard, the university's executive vice president, the new clinic is an example of how the university is committed to providing the Tufts community with services commensurate with Tufts' teaching and research.

"When our students become part of our community, we want them to feel taken care of," Howard said. "With the integrated approach taken by the clinic staff on the Boston campus, that's precisely the commitment we're making to them."

The clinic is part of a new division at Tufts called University Health Services, which includes student health and counseling and mental health services.

"The clinic is part of a broader strategy to create a connected, university-wide well-being ecosystem," Jordan said. "The goal isn't just to provide care in one location-it's to ensure that services across all campuses are aligned, data-informed, and centered on student needs. Over time, this will include standardizing metrics, improving data systems, and investing in prevention and well-being initiatives."

Caroline Genco, provost and senior vice president, said the clinic is a prime example of how the university is advancing its mission as a student-centered institution.

"Creating a space that meets the mental, emotional, social, and physical health needs of our community on the Boston health sciences campus is a major achievement for the entire university," Genco said.

Mike Howard, Executive Vice President of Tufts University

Visiting the Clinic

Staff at the clinic will include nurse practitioners, registered nurses, a nutritionist, a Ph.D. psychotherapist, a psychiatrist, a physician, a social worker, and administrative staff. The clinic will offer both daytime and evening hours.

"This team-based model supports high standards of quality and patient experience," Jordan said. Because the clinic is integrated, he explained, providers can easily bring a nutritionist, nurse, or mental health clinician into a patient's care as needed.

Tufts students on the Boston health sciences campus will be able to utilize the clinic as their first stop for treating acute and chronic illnesses and minor injuries, just as they would a primary care provider's office. Practitioners will provide care for common concerns, including respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, minor injuries, and dermatologic conditions, and sexual health needs like contraception, STI prevention and treatment, IUD placement, and transgender care. Immunizations, routine screenings, physical exams, and support for nutrition, eating concerns, and selected chronic conditions will also be available.

The space was designed around the user experience, with ease of access, flow of care, and reduced friction in the health care setting at the forefront. By working closely with the project's architects and with Tufts Facilities, Jordan said the result is a welcoming, calm, and purpose-built clinical environment.

"For us, this is about optimizing student health and well-being, reducing barriers to care, and supporting students' academic and lifelong success," Jordan said.

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