A new health resource is available for Texas Wesleyan students. TimelyCare is a free online telehealth service that allows students to seek on-demand medical and emotional support, such as counseling, medical issues, health coaching and self-care videos to follow. 

TimelyCare gives students a sense of control over their mental and physical health. Students have the option to schedule a session with a specific professional, or they can log on for the next available appointment. This can be done at any place or time using a computer or phone. 

Providers for this service are specifically trained to work with students. 

“[TimelyCare] is a great complement to our existing support services on campus,” said Assistant Dean of Students and Care Team Coordinator Dr. Jill Gerloff.  “It provides students an opportunity to have healthcare access wherever they are and whenever they have a need.” 

Once a student graduates, this care is available extended for one additional semester. 

Services are accessed through a user-friendly app or through their website at timelycare.com/txwes. The services are available in over 240 languages, and students have a variety of professionals from which to choose. 

Students use their TXWES email and credentials to sign up, and the user’s health insurance information is not needed.  

All current students are welcome to use TimelyCare services while in the United States. Those that are traveling or visiting out-of-state will be required to update their location to ensure prescriptions are accessible nearby, as well as that the person they are seeing is licensed in that state. 

Junior softball player and chemistry major Crystal White used TimelyCare at her previous college. She utilized the services during COVID and was surprised it only took an hour to reach a medical professional. “They were a lot busier than normal [during the pandemic], but I know it normally takes like 15 to 30 minutes,” she said. “Which really isn’t bad because you’re just sitting there on your own.” 

Counseling services are one of the important elements of the service for students. Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Junghoon Song has linked the mental health struggles with his online classes and said, “[Online classes] usually involves more work, and many of the students are full time, working students and they have family and kids. Oftentimes they cannot keep up with the assignments and projects. They may panic and sometimes they stop in the middle of the course.” Having TimelyCare available any time is important for these students. 

Confidentiality is also important to students. Dr. Gerloff said, “If a student needs to report something related to Title IX, the confidential resources on campus are now our TimelyCare and our director of the Community Counseling Center.” For a major event reported through TimelyCare, the service is required to alert Texas Wesleyan of the event but not the students involved.  

Students are often stressed. First-year musical theater major Trinity Chenault said, “Some stress is self-given or unnecessary stress.” Her stress stems from the pressures of being a first-generation college student.  

“You know, being a college student, a lot of times, we don’t have time to always go see the doctor in person,” said White. “So being able just to be at home on your own time, at any point of the day, needing to just reach a doctor is nice to have available.” 

For more information, visit the Texas Wesleyan website for TimelyCare.