Collin students and part-time staff find CougarCare useful as it provides 24/7 telehealth

It is hard not to feel anxious or overwhelmed from time to time with COVID-19 still rampant throughout the country and the other uncertainties that the past year brought. Collin College partnered with TimelyMD, a telehealth company that specializes in higher education, to help students and employees manage their mental and physical health.

All enrolled credit students, adjunct faculty, and part-time staff now have free and immediate online access to medical and mental health visits through TimelyMD.

The pilot program, called CougarCare, gives participants 24/7 access to free medical and/or mental health visits from licensed physicians and counselors, anytime and from anywhere in the United States.

CougarCare is another addition to our growing list of support services for students and part-time employees, and a natural extension of the existing counseling services offered by the colleges Mental Health Resources, said Dr. Neil Matkin, Collin College district president. We believe access to medical care may result in higher persistence and completion rates, as well as contribute to overall positive outcomes for our students and employees.

According to a study conducted by the American College Health Association, some of the top factors affecting students academic performance were stress, anxiety, sleep difficulties, cold/flu/sore throat, and depression.

Matthew Geracie, associate dean of counseling services at Collin College, said that many students dont have access to health care, which can sometimes be an added stress component. Geracie said that CougarCare is a great option for students to access basic medical care for free.

For students, the Talk Now program helps provide after-hours and weekend crisis support. Collin College counseling services still provides ongoing weekly telehealth talk therapy to students during regular business hours. For adjunct faculty and part-time staff, Talk Now provides on-demand access to mental health support to talk about anything at any time.

Juan Sanchez, a Collin College real estate student, said he is excited about this new free service providing relief to students.

I like that Collin College has invested in a program that will provide relief to students, especially during these times when there is so much uncertainty, and it may be difficult to book an appointment with a provider, said Sanchez, who also serves as the president of the Student Government Association (SGA).The app is easy to navigate, and the providers are accessible.

Sanchez, who recently switched jobs and lost his health insurance, said having CougarCare is beneficial especially because he and other students can have telehealth visits with doctors for free.

At SGA, we are working hard to help promote this program because we dont want students to miss out on this free service that can be very beneficial for them, Sanchez said.

Seeking care through CougarCare is as easy as making a video call. From an app on their phones or other devices, participants can see the profiles, faces, and basic details of a diverse range of medical providers or mental health counselors available to them. They can choose to meet with a specific provider or select the first available. Typically, a video consultation with a provider is available within 5-10 minutes.

Adjunct English Professor Jonathan Allison said he is grateful that Collin College has invested in employees as well as students. He said the accessibility and choices he has on CougarCare make him feel valued as an employee.

Having such an array of choice and having it be so readily available is exactly the right thing, and Im so proud of this college for doing this, Allison said. It shows that the college cares about all students and all employees.