A Primary Campus Provider is a clinician within College Health Services who has been designated to assist you with a full range of primary care concerns while you are here at Mount Holyoke.
Many people have a PCP — primary care physician — at home through their health insurance plan. Here at Mount Holyoke, we want to be your medical home away from home, and provide you with your own MoHome PCP: your Primary Campus Provider. This person is your go to health care provider while here at MHC. This is part of Health Services’ support of your health, and is unrelated to your health insurance plan (whether from home or purchased through MHC).
What is the purpose of a PCP?
Our goal of assigning a PCP is to provide even better health care through continuity with the same health care provider, to build stronger relationships with our students and improve the coordination of care and support between your MHC PCP, our campus partners, and your other health care providers (on and off campus, even back home).
How do I get a PCP?
During the summer all new, incoming students were assigned a PCP. Returning students may request to be assigned a PCP, or can choose one of the clinicians they have worked with previously. This can be done by discussing this with one of the clinicians or asking one of the front desk staff.
How do I know to which PCP I was assigned?
During late August all incoming students will be sent a secure message through MyHealthConnection sharing the name of their assigned PCP. If you do not receive this message or are not able to find this message, you can contact our front desk staff at 413-538-2121.
Do I need to make an appointment?
Scheduling an appointment is not required. However, if you have an existing health condition--even if it is well controlled (ie migraines, or asthma)-- or if you have any ongoing health concerns or questions, we strongly encourage you to make a non-urgent appointment with your MHC PCP. We can begin to establish the health care relationship early and begin to support your wellbeing during your time at MHC. Students may also want to meet their PCP to better understand the services available through College Health Services and the recommended preventive services.
What if my PCP is not available when I am ill?
In general, we encourage appointments for chronic health issues or prevention services to be scheduled with your MHC PCP. If you are sick, we will do our best to have your MHC PCP see you. However, your urgent health care needs will take priority over the schedule. if you get sick or injured when your MHC PCP is not available, Health Services will coordinate your seeing a different clinician.
All students should seek urgent care of acute illness or injury by using our nurse triage services; via phone (413-538-2242) or secure message through MyHealthConnection. The triage nurse will be able to help manage your health care need, coordinate an appointment with a clinician, or direct you to an off campus urgent care center or emergency room (depending on the severity of the problem).
If you get sick or injured after Health Services clinical hours, you can reach speak with the Health Services On-Call Provider to help you determine the best approach to manage your urgent health need. Call 413-538-2242, press zero and speak with the answering service. The On-Call provider will contact you.
If you are seen outside of MHC Health Services, or at MHC Health Services by a provider other than your MHC PCP, the information of that care will be shared with your MHC PCP.
What if I want to change my PCP?
We understand and anticipate that there may be times when the assigned PCP may not be the best “fit” to meet the goals of having a PCP. Students may request a change by speaking with any member of College Health Services.
Does this impact my health insurance or home PCP?
The Primary Campus Provider is to supplement--not replace--your PCP from home. This does not change any of the requirements regarding referral or prior authorization that are established by health insurance plans other than the Student Health Insurance Plan.
College Health Services provides services only during the academic year, therefore your Primary Campus Provider will not be available during the Summer.
Explore the MHC Social Universe >