Concerns over liability have resulted in the withholding of certain funding for student-initiated community health organizations, forcing them to cancel upcoming events.
Following the UCLA procedure of prohibiting university sponsorship of student groups, the Center for Student Programming said it had concerns about liability and froze a “special supplies” fund for these groups.
In the past, many of these student health projects would apply for funding from the undergraduate student government which was then distributed by the Center for Student Programming.
Previously, student groups could use these funds to purchase medical supplies to use during their health screenings and fairs in the Los Angeles region.
Kenn Heller, assistant dean of students and associate director of the Center for Student Programming, said the university was concerned about the liability of the registered student medical organizations.
“At this point, the university is not held accountable for the organizations, and each of the groups (does) not maintain its insurance,” Heller said.
He said student volunteers are legally exposing themselves by participating in medical procedures that may require professional evaluation. Heller added that officials in the Center for Student Programming are still discussing issues such as health service groups working without a medical practitioner on site and necessary volunteer training.
Dr. Berky Nelson, program director of the Center for Student Programming, also said that the liability situation is not yet resolved.
“Things are being on hold. It is a work in progress. We are concerned about the liability of the students primarily,” Nelson said.
Some of the affected health organizations said the funding change was sudden and limited their community service efforts.
Mauricio Franco, board member of Chicano Latinos for Community Medicine, said the Latino Student Health Project was surprised when it was unable to access funds they had requested for health screening supplies.
Franco said the organization had to cancel an outreach health event approximately two weeks ago because the students found out a week before the event that their special supplies account was frozen with no explanation.
“It was an abrupt change, and no one was warned. The communities were excited because we are their only access to free screenings,” he said.
Franco said many of the volunteers in Latino Student Health Project were disappointed about the event cancellation.
“Many of our volunteers come from these same communities and family who never got a chance to get a cholesterol check or visit the dentist because of a lack of money,” he added.
Shahida Bawa, a director for the Muslim Student Association’s University Muslim Medical Association Volunteer Project, said the project, which maintains a free medical clinic for many low-income people in Los Angeles, was also affected.
She said she spoke to a Center for Student Programming adviser on Thursday, and the adviser said all the health organizations are not able to access their special supplies funds.
“We were never told anything while we (were) creating budget proposals. Now, we don’t know how we can … touch the money we were already allocated for,” Bawa said.
Abigail Criss, outreach director of Pilipinos for Community Health, said her group used to offer free body mass index and hypertension screenings and hypertension tests, but now they cannot do those activities without a doctor to cover student liability.
“We can’t do these things unless we find someone who will take the fall,” said Criss.
Bawa said that she feels frustrated because she sees no resolution to the liability issue.
“There is no road for us to follow and to mend the situation, so we are up in arms,” said Bawa.