To put it bluntly- when a student on campus at Hagerstown Community College gets sick, they're screwed. This campus has no medical facility. No licensed nurse. Not even a referral to a local clinic is available. The only way a sick or injured student is going to get any medical treatment is if they are an athlete, and even that will be nominal at best. Why? What would possess a college campus, albeit a small one such as HCC, not to have some sort of medical center?
             The best theory lies within the setup of the campus itself. Since HCC doesn't have student housing, the board of directors feel that there is no reason for them to build the facilities, or pay a registered nurse to see those of us who get sick. Again, why? The best reasoning behind the lack of medical staff is because a majority of the student body has lived in the area prior to enrolling to HCC, so they already have an established family physician. They get sick, they go home to see their mom or their doctor, and everything is ok.
             What happens to an out of state student? They sit and sneeze and cough, letting nature run its course. That's fine if they have a cold or the flu, but what about the student who contracts something more serious? Not seeing a physician can cause lasting damage to the internal organs, especially the lungs.
             At least the athletes can get some help. If they get sick they can tell their coach, and depending on what it is, be referred to the trainer, or to a doctor. The problem is, not all students participate in athletics. An out of state student, who does not participate in athletics, with minimal funds, and no family support, is going to have major problems in the event of an illness. Almost nobody makes plans for sickness, so when the time comes, major problems arise. Most students take it for granted campuses have some sort of clinic. What is to be done?
             Even after speaking to Dr. Galligan about the matter,
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