The Group Health Cooperative clinic on the Truax campus has been open since the end of August.  The campus celebrated the new partnership with the health group with an open house on Thursday, October 13, 2011.

“The facility is going to mean so much to the students,” said Rose Clearmont, Student Senate Vice President of Administration and Finance. “We could not survive without it with the way things are.”

Larry Zanoni, Group Health Clinic executive director, referred to the open house as “very satisfying.” The project had been delayed several. The original proposed launch date was in February 2011. It was not believed that the launch would not take quite this long.

“This is the first venture for both of us so the unanticipated and unknowns kind of got in the way,” Zanoni said. “It’s better to do things right than to do them fast.”

Scot Vesterdahl, the school’s Fitness, Health and Recreation director, worked on the project with Group Health Cooperative. At the time, the clinic at Truax became a last-minute addition to an agenda during a strategy session for the group in June 2010.

Not only was the proposal added to the agenda, but it was moved to the top.  After a 15-minute discussion, it was agreed to initiate the partnership with Madison Area Technical College.  After months of trying to work through permits for the construction of the building, the process culminated with the opening this past August and Thursday’s open house celebration.

“We’re thrilled,” Vesterdahl said. “GHC has been a great partner so far.”