For years, Thielen Health Center has been under scrutiny from students due to lack of efficiency and the quality of care provided. These concerns came to light this summer when Keeling and Associates published a biting review of the center, confirming the multitude of complaints brought forth by students.

It isn’t uncommon to hear talk of this nature across campus because the reputation of the health center precedes itself. Horror stories of anything from missed cases of appendicitis to the great number of hoops one must jump through just to get in to see a physician are exchanged quite frequently between students.

This usually doesn’t do anything but act as a topic of conversation; nothing is done to alleviate the complaints. Circumstances are different this time because university officials are finally listening and taking action.

Shelly O’Connell, who directed the student health center at the University of Northern Iowa since 2008 and is one of two candidates in contention to lead the Thielen Health Center, will be in the Gallery of the Memorial Union at 4:10 p.m. Thursday to answer questions and meet with students.

O’Connell will also be at the helm of an open forum in the Gold Room of the Memorial Union at 9 a.m. Friday. The forum will feature a presentation that will highlight the importance of student health as a factor of education. Another question-and-answer session will follow.

All the issues that have surfaced from the health center in recent years stem from the top of the heap, which is why the search for a new lead is so vital. According to Keeling & Associates, Thielen “suffers from a serious, chronic and coercive lack of leadership.”

Although this review was conducted by an outside source, it perfectly reflected the concerns and feelings of students.

Students struck a chord with the university by expressing concerns about how the health center worked. But we can’t stop now; ceasing to show interest in the evolving environment at the health center would undo all the positive steps that have been taken.

It is for this reason that students must play an active role in events such as the public forum or question-and-answer sessions that are taking place with potential lead candidates. Students, the sole customers of the health center, have spent a lot of time saying things need to change. Nothing will change if we don’t participate.