On August 15, 2014, I landed in Portland, marking the beginning of a new chapter. Like millions of other wide-eyed young adults across the country, I had arrived to embark on a journey that would undoubtedly change all our lives forever.

College represents a period of major transition. Students leave behind the comforts of home and loved ones, venturing out on an exhilarating yet daunting journey of growth and self-discovery. This special time brings a mix of excitement, nerves, and incredible opportunity. However, in the excitement of new experiences, many students begin to struggle with health concerns and navigate the complex healthcare system. While many colleges provide exceptional health services, many students struggle to navigate labyrinthine processes that hinder rather than facilitate care.

Students get bounced around various offices. Websites bury critical information, rarely resonating with a student’s digital life. Long waits at health centers discourage engagement. And finding off-campus specialists means starting from scratch to understand one’s insurance and whether services qualify under student plans. Healthcare remains painfully convoluted even for seasoned patients. For a 17-year-old away from home for the first time, it is downright overwhelming. Let's examine the problem deeper:

• There is a Visibility Problem in Student Healthcare. Today's college students lead extremely digital lifestyles. Yet most university health centers continue relying on outdated websites to share medical resources, resulting in a lack of visibility around services and confusing user experiences for students. Information gets spread across various pages and platforms, making it challenging for students to even know what's available, let alone access it.

  
  

• There is Also a Routing Problem. Complicating matters further, healthcare has become incredibly complex to navigate. Even when made aware of an applicable service, students struggle to determine what to do next.

This is Where We Step In. Rather than overwhelm students with a complex website, we customize UniHealth for each university showcasing the specific resources they want to highlight. Students can easily explore counseling, medical, wellness, pharmacy, care and other services all in one place, meeting students where they are - on their phones.

The transition to college introduces enough new complexities without having to figure out healthcare alone. The status quo of confusion and complexity has to end. Students desperately need an advocate to consolidate resources and guide them to the right care when necessary. UniHealth strives to meet that need.

Tsikata Apenyo | Founder & CEO