Issue date: 9/13/04 Section: News

Texas A&M may be on track for a third subsequent year of decreases in emergency medical assistance calls, according to new data released Friday by the Student Health Services.

"The University has been actively involved in trying to reduce risk campus-wide," said Assistant Director Scott Draper.

Whether the decrease can be attributed to those efforts remains unclear, Draper said.

Draper said students are aware of the 9-911 emergency telephone number. The Student Health Service made presentations this year at orientations for undergraduate, graduate and international students, and earlier this month the Vice President for Student Affairs Dean Bresciani e-mailed a memo to all students reinforcing the information.

"We've become more intentional about our marketing efforts for the Student Health Service and EMS in particular," Draper said.

EMS transportation is provided at no cost to students other than the mandatory $55 per semester Health Center Fee. The fee has not been increased since 2002, when the unelected Student Service Fee Advisory Board pushed a $5 hike, despite objections by the Student Senate.

Mark McCaig, a senior marketing major and president of the student advocacy organization Aggie Watch, said the fee represents a good value at its current level.

"The Student Health Service is a prime example of an organization that provides quality services without needing a fee increase," McCaig said.

If it were not covered by the Health Center Fee, EMS would cost students more than $500 per incident, according to EMS Coordinator James Gibson. The fee covered $257,394 in EMS transportation for students last year.

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