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WKU Regents approve new on-campus healthcare provider, one-time payments for some employees

Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University will soon have a new healthcare provider on campus.

In a meeting Thursday, the school’s Board of Regents approved a ten-year contract with Med Center Health to provide health care to faculty, staff, and students beginning Janury 1, 2023. Graves-Gilbert Clinic, whose contract recently expired, has run campus health services since 2014.

WKU President Timothy Caboni said Med Center Health’s bid was successful based on the company’s ability to provide the most comprehensive care.

“What I’m most proud of is this is going to increase both women’s services and mental health care on campus. We know post-pandemic our community continues to be challenged with mental health,” Caboni said.

Med Center Health will have a mental health professional at the campus clinic each day for at least half-a-day.

Caboni said the Bowling Green-based company was also chosen as the school's next health care provider because of its sports medicine program.

Regents also approved a one-time payment to certain full-time employees aimed at helping ease some of inflationary pressures that have impacted many U.S. workers.

Faculty and staff members making below the faculty salary median of $65,362 will get a one-time payment of $950. Caboni said the school hoped to have that extra payment added to the next round of paychecks employees are set to receive later this month. If not, the extra cash will be reflected in paychecks that go out at the end of January 2023.

The $950 payment was based on a recommendation from WKU’s Budget Executive Committee.

The total cost to the university is about $1 million and will be paid by reducing the university’s cash-on-hand by one-and-a-half days. A previously announced 2% across-the-board salary increase for employees takes effect on January 1, 2023.

Regents on Thursday also signed off on contract extensions for Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Stansbury and Women’s Basketball Coach Greg Collins.

The deals will keep both at WKU through June 30, 2026.

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Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.