Waxahachie, TX

July 9, 2019 | Andrew Hurst

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) is excited to implement a new student telehealth service capable of immediately and conveniently addressing the physical and mental health needs of our undergraduate, on-campus students beginning this Fall.

The service is called SAGUCare and is provided through TimelyMD , a telehealth company with access to a network of licensed health providers, mental health providers and clinical psychologists throughout the nation.

“SAGUCare is a campus-wide solution for our on-campus student population for SAGU, SAGU AIC, and SAGU Valor,” says Terry Phipps, Vice President for Student Development. “Students can call board-certified physicians or licensed counselors and receive the care they need regardless of the time of day or where they are. It’s 24/7 service and students can access it anywhere in the United States.”

The service will be provided exclusively to on-campus, undergraduate students this fall. However, coverage options for distance education students are in consideration for the near future.

SAGUCare offers:

• 24/7 access to quality care
• Access care from anywhere, even from a dorm room
• Access even on vacation or home for breaks throughout the year
• No wait time to see a physician or mental health provider
• Access to a physician or mental health provider around the student’s schedule
• Prescriptions if deemed appropriate by the provider

Along with phone medical visits, SAGUCare will also offer video visits, chat functionality and text programming for health initiatives.

The cost for the service is only 79 dollars per semester (Fall & Spring) and covers a student through the full calendar year including school breaks and the summer season. Students will not pay per visit and there is no limit to the number of visits.

“There is no co-pay, just one flat fee per semester,” says Phipps. “A number of students don’t have health insurance so for them, this is the perfect option to receive the immediate care they need without having to pay for the medical expenses of a trip to Urgent Care, the ER, or an in-person visit to a physician.”

The available physicians through TimelyMD can treat a wide range of common conditions and after visiting with patients, will decide on the best course of treatment.

In addition to the physical health services of the program, Phipps believes that the behavioral health services will be very beneficial for the well-being of SAGU students for years to come.

According to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health , 66 percent of college dropouts leave for mental health reasons and the number of students who seek counseling has grown by an average of 30 percent just in the past few years.

“Along with the physical health of our students, we care about their mental well-being,” says Phipps. “It’s important that they are able to manage and cope with stress. We realize that college can be a very stressful time in a young adult’s life and this resource, SAGUCare, will provide resources and an outlet for them to get the attention and the care that they need.”

SAGUCare log-in information will be provided to students at a later date.

As a leading Christian university, SAGU educates and prepares individuals who want to serve Christ and others. SAGU helps students discover and develop their God-given callings in a Spirit-empowered, learning community.

We believe in affordable tuition, made possible in part through the financial support of donors who embrace the mission of SAGU and the importance of affordable, accredited programs to train Christians for leadership in ministry, business, education, and service.

Most majors are available in-person in Waxahachie, TX, and online through a wide range of associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.