In the face of a national economic crisis, the University does not foresee any major changes to the student health insurance plan it offers.

“We do not expect this economic crisis to affect Cornell University policy regarding health insurance,” said Sharon Dittman, associate director of Health Promotion and Community Relations for Gannett.

For those who opt to buy healthcare from Cornell, they may receive a price break. Dittman cited that financial aid for health insurance will be influenced by the fiscal downturn, providing students with adequate resources in a time of need.

In the wake of reporting the nine syphilis cases identified in Tompkins County last April, Gannett Student Health Services, Tompkins County Department of Health, Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College joined forces to provide testing, education and materials surrounding this often overlooked sexually transmitted disease.

In a move to smooth the transition to having fully electronic health records, Gannett Health Services recently implemented a state of the art radiography system. The Radiology Information System/ Picture Archiving and Communications System for managing medical images is providing faster service and more efficient doctor-patient communication.

The transition to the Kodak DR 3500 occurred after three years of research and planning to seek the best value in replacing outdated technology and to streamline radiologic images with other fully electronic health records. Following a period of renovations to the radiology suite and training for radiographers and clinicians, the system came into use

in January.

More and more, I am being asked by individuals why my column, in which I usually tell humorous stories about my life, is in the arts section of The Sun. I respond to these Naïve Nancys, by reminding them that humor indeed is an art form attempted by many yet mastered by few, and that my life is a masterpiece in the works. Some, though, just won’t have it.

For that reason, I decided that I would placate those whom wish I were not in the Arts by donning my aesthete hat this week and using my column to critique graphic design and propaganda. In order to appeal to the broadest base of readers, I will be dissecting Gannett Health Services’ shiteous imagery that presently can be found on their website.

Following the upswing of syphilis cases reported in Tompkins County, Gannett and Tompkins County Health Department continue to provide testing and information to the community. According to Sharon Dittman, associate director of community relations for Gannett, nine individuals have tested positive for syphilis thus far.

Correction Appended

Since the Centers for Disease Control called for colleges to take on a flexible, tailored approach to dealing with H1N1 outbreaks, schools have been implementing varied responses to find the proper balance between taking precautions against the spread of the virus and minimizing disruptions to university life.

According to a survey from the American College Health Association, Washington had the nation’s highest rate of H1N1 during the peak period in the state: 366.8 cases of the flu for every 10,000 students. New York State had 6.5 cases of the flu for every 10,000 students at its peak.

Correction Appended

Cornell witnessed a surge of students experiencing flu-like symptoms over the holiday weekend, bringing the total number of students diagnosed by Gannett Health Services with probable H1N1 influenza to 291 as of last night.

Since individuals are not required to report having the flu and may choose to seek medical attention from other healthcare providers, this number only reflects those actually diagnosed at Gannett.

“We have no way of knowing how many people [in total] have H1N1 in our community of students, faculty and staff,” said Sharon Dittman, associate director of community relations at Gannett Health Services.