Health Services

The annual event hosted by GMercyU's Health and Wellness Center provides the GMercyU Community with resources and tools to live a healthier lifestyle. Topics vary each year but nutritional counseling, cancer screening tips, and eye exams are some of the many services that have been available.

Started in 2016 with flag football, the program has since added numerous sports and activities including co-ed basketball and softball leagues, dodgeball and ultimate frisbee. The programs strive to provide a competitive, safe and enjoyable atmosphere that encourages sportsmanship, teamwork and leadership development for students of all athletic abilities and interests.

Find more information on Intramurals and Recreation here.

If sports aren't your thing, no worries! GMercyU offers many ways to stay active through one-credit fitness classes. Don't forget you can always explore GMercyU's beautiful 145-acre campus, which includes plenty of beautiful places to run, walk or bike.

In partnership with Griffin Dining, GMercyU uses organic and locally sourced food as often as possible across all campus dining facilities. 

Your mental health matters! That's why our Counseling Services Office offer a confidential, safe space with an staff of caring experts to support you, when and if you need it. Beginning Fall 2024, we will also offer 24/7 virtual mental health support from behavioral health professionals. Learn more here.

In 2017, GMercyU joined nearly 1,800 other college and university campuses across the country in going completely tobacco and smoke-free. The policy prohibits the use of all tobacco and smoke-inducing products in all GMercyU campus locations, including parking areas.

The decision to go smoke-free was based on requests from GMercyU's Student Government Association, and is on par with our commitment to promoting healthy and environmentally-responsible living on campus.

Tobacco and Smoke-Free Campus Policy

Smoking-Cessation Resources - If you wish to quit smoking, there are several resources available to help you work towards your goal. 

• Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco
  
• Pennsylvania Department of Health
  
• Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
  
• American Public Health Association
  
• American Cancer Society
  
• American Lung Association
  
• National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
  
• Mesothelioma Guide
  
• Smoke-Free Environments Law Project
  
• Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights

Visit GMercyU' s portal to access resources from the American Red Cross and Independence Blue Cross. 

Please alert the Health and Wellness Center if you have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Health and Wellness Center is closely monitoring developments around monkey pox and will respond to our community needs accordingly. For the most up-to-date information, please review resources at U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and www.montcopa.org.

If you are experiencing symptoms that might be monkey pox, including fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters, it is essential that you:

• Immediately isolate yourself from others; do not report to work or school until evaluated and cleared by a healthcare professional.
  
  
• All students should immediately contact the Health and Wellness Center at healthandwellnessctr@gmercyu.edu.
  
  
• Resident students should stay in their room and await further instructions from the Health and Wellness Center.
  
  
• Commuter students should not proceed to campus until cleared by their primary care physician.
  
  
• All faculty and staff should email the Health and Wellness Center at healthandwellnessctr@gmercyu.edu so they are aware of possible/actual cases.

Anyone who is made aware of a positive case, suspected case, or is in close contact with monkey pox should immediately notify the Health and Wellness Center at healthandwellnessctr@gmercyu.edu.

If you have a specific concern that is not addressed in this message or available through the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control, or your local and state department of health, please email healthandwellnessctr@gmercyu.edu.

 

Please visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website for recent information regarding the Zika Virus. 

Due to the seriousness of the flu this season, please take some time to read the information on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website. The CDC provides important information including prevention methods, symptoms, and treatment methods. 

Due to the recent increase in cases of the mumps in Pennsylvania, please read the message below:

While no Gwynedd Mercy University students have reported symptoms of the mumps, we are providing the following information regarding the virus, its symptoms, and prevention and treatment of this illness.

Mumps is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It can result in high fever, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, decreased appetite, and the tell-tale sign of swelling of one or both parotid salivary glands in the cheek and jaw area below the ear. Symptoms usually appear about 16-18 days after exposure to infection but can range from 12-25 days after exposure. Persons infected with mumps are most contagious from three days before the onset of their symptoms to five days after their symptoms began. Some people who get mumps have very mild symptoms. Most people with mumps recover completely in a few weeks. Mumps can occasionally cause complications, especially in adults. Complications include deafness, inflammation of the testicles, ovaries, brain, and tissue covering the brain.

Mumps is highly contagious and is spread through saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose or throat. An infected person can spread the virus by coughing, sneezing, talking or kissing; sharing items such as drinks, cigarettes or eating utensils; and touching objects or surfaces with unwashed hands that are then touched by others shortly after.

To prevent the spread of the mumps virus: wash your hands frequently, don’t share food, beverages, eating utensils or cigarettes. Cover your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze, and avoid close contact with ill individuals. Clean and disinfect surfaces.

Mumps can be prevented with the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine series. The vaccines are usually given as part of routine childhood immunizations. While the majority of students at Gwynedd Mercy University have been fully immunized with the MMR series, this does not mean they are completely immune. The mumps vaccine is usually recommended for persons 12 months or older born after 1957. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended. If you are vaccinated with the MMR vaccine, your risk of mumps infection is lower; however, it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms because even fully vaccinated individuals can get the illness. Talk to your healthcare provider about getting vaccinated if you haven’t already been vaccinated.

Persons with symptoms should avoid contact with others. They should not go to work or school. Students should contact the Student Health Center Ext. 21306 or email ferguson.d@gmercyu.edu if they experience any symptoms. Faculty and staff who develop symptoms should consult with their healthcare providers.