Partnership with higher education’s virtual care leader, TimelyCare, offers 24/7 equitable access to well-being resources
Completing a degree in higher education is an incredible accomplishment that, in most cases, is not met without challenges – academically, socially, and emotionally. While every student’s collegiate journey is different, McMurry University is committed to providing a wide range of services that meet the needs of every student on campus.
As part of that commitment, McMurry has partnered with TimelyCare, higher education’s most trusted virtual health and well-being provider, to offer students free and equitable access to mental health support and medical care. The partnership is an extension of the campus health and counseling center’s resources, with the goal of improving student well-being, engagement, and retention.
The need for 24/7 access to high-quality care has never been more important. According to a report by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, 69% of students in bachelor’s degree programs who considered dropping out cited emotional stress as their reason.
Through TimelyCare on their phone or other device, McMurry students can now select from a wide-ranging menu of virtual care options from licensed physicians and counselors in all 50 states – at no cost and without the barrier of traditional insurance – including:
- On-demand and appointment-based medical care
- On-demand mental health and emotional support (TalkNow)
- Appointment-based mental health counseling
- Psychiatric support
- Care navigation
- Peer support community
- Digital self-care content
Additionally, faculty and staff have access to support that empowers them to guide students to TimelyCare resources to help students achieve a sense of well-being, live healthier lifestyles, and improve their mental health.
“At the forefront of our commitment to student well-being is the priority of health and safety. TimelyCare’s user-friendly platform, convenience, and immediacy make it easier than ever for our students to access on-demand support,” said McMurry University Dean of Students Rev. Ricky Harrison. “TimelyCare enhances campus resources by making care more readily available to students when they need it, limiting the spread of illness, reducing the stigma of mental health issues, and granting peace of mind to students and their families.”
The partnership with TimelyCare enables McMurry University to deliver a hybrid care model in collaboration with on-campus resources. Benefits to students include:
- Convenient 24/7 care – Physical and mental health issues often present themselves outside regular business hours, and TimelyCare makes seeking support or treatment as easy and convenient as making a video or phone call. Nationally, half of mental health care visits through TimelyCare occur after regular business hours or on weekends.
- Reduced wait times – Many campus counseling centers often have a 2-3 week wait time for appointments, whereas students can typically connect with a TimelyCare provider in less than 5 minutes.
- Diverse provider network – TimelyCare’s diverse and culturally responsive provider network reflects and is proud to serve students who embody diversity in race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, age, religion and worldview, language, health, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic and immigration status, and more. More than half of mental health providers identify as people of color. The platform also offers professionals who identify as LGBTQIA+ and speak multiple languages, and provides translation services in more than 240 languages. Students scheduling services can choose to meet with a specific provider or select the first available.
- Peace of mind – TimelyCare is a safe, secure, URAC-accredited, and HIPAA-compliant platform that adheres to campus-specific protocols to facilitate care coordination and follow-up, ensuring continuity of care. Integrations with leading learning management systems ensure students have even more on-ramps to in-the-moment support whenever they need it.
Mental health directly impacts student retention and academic performance. TimelyCare is proven to support better outcomes, including:
- Clinically significant change by students’ third scheduled counseling or psychiatry visit for those who entered care with severe depression or anxiety symptoms.
- Swift and significant impact for those students with clinical symptoms, dropping a severity ranking (e.g. moderate to mild) by their third scheduled counseling visit.
- Nine out of 10 students say they would recommend TimelyCare’s services.
“With more than seven out of 10 students reporting that they experience mental health challenges such as stress, anxiety or depression, expanded access to virtual health and well-being interventions like TimelyCare has never been more important,” said Luke Hejl, CEO and co-founder of TimelyCare. “Ultimately, supporting students, educators, and staff means providing access to care whenever and wherever they need it.”
Contact
Katelyn Scott, Associate Vice President of Strategic Communication & Marketing
scott.katelyn@mcm.edu
325-793-3800, ext.1013