“A Campus Magnet”: College Celebrates New Schacht Health and Wellness Center

Walking into the new Nancy and Henry Schacht Center for Health and Wellness feels like stepping into the future.

With its open spaces, eco-friendly features and calming waterfall, the 12,000-square-foot building feels more like an ultramodern classroom structure than a campus health center.

That’s by design, says Dr. Leslie Jaffe, director of the new center—the first health facility built at Smith since 1918. In addition to its central location near Ainsworth Gym, Jaffe noted that the Schacht Center has combined campus medical, wellness and counseling services under one roof in a building designed for maximum privacy and comfort.

“Many students have commented that the center is beautiful and feels more professional” than the former Mason Infirmary on Paradise Road, Jaffe said. “We are excited to be in a state-of-the-art facility that allows us to function more efficiently than in the past.”

President McCartney has invited campus community members to a dedication ceremony for the Schacht Center on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 5 p.m. in the building’s upper lobby. Joining her will be members of the board of trustees and building donors Nancy Schacht ’56 and Henry Schacht of New York City.

The center, which was designed by SG&A Architects of Boston, will also be open for guided tours before and after the dedication ceremony, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. For details, contact Ashley Keedy at 585-2688, akeedy@smith.edu.

The Schachts said they were interested in supporting a project that will help improve the well-being of students at Smith.

“The health of students is a foundation for how well they do,” said Nancy Schacht, who served as a Smith trustee from 2000 to 2010. “It affects how they feel about their work, what they do after college. It’s a very important baseline.”

The new Schacht Center offers a range of free student health services, including counseling, sports physicals, reproductive health, immunizations and nutrition. While those same services have been offered in the past at Smith, the new facility makes it possible to provide them more efficiently and in a more welcoming environment, Jaffe said.

The new one-stop location may be among the reasons use of campus health services has risen since the Schacht Center opened last semester, he added.

“The more centralized location proved invaluable when we had our flu shot clinics in October,” Jaffe noted. “We saw many more students and staff than in the past.”

Jaffe said he hopes the center—which is now logging upwards of 200 visits a week—will be able to offer more health services in the future, including massage, acupuncture and other alternative/complementary practices such as Tibetan and naturopathic medicine.

Multipurpose spaces in the new Schacht Center have also proved ideal for support group meetings, student orientation and other educational programs, said Pamela McCarthy, Smith’s associate director of health services and a 20-year member of the college’s health staff.

“The facility allows us to expand our services to meet future student needs. And the beauty and serenity of the space has already made it a campus magnet.”

Her own favorite space in the new building is a second-floor wellness lounge with windows on two sides offering a panoramic view of Mendenhall Tower.

“The whole notion behind the new building is wellness,” McCarthy said. “Because of the added space for activities, wellness can be much more of a focus.”

McCarthy hopes the center’s location near Ainsworth may also lead to future collaboration between the health center and the athletics department. “We are eager to do some creative programming with our new neighbors,” she said.

A series of lectures and programs by health services staff, alumnae and other medical experts will begin on campus next month in celebration of the Schacht Center.

The first event, “Love Illuminated,” on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. in Sage Hall, is about the science of love as revealed in Broadway musicals. Led by Smith wellness education director Emily Nagoski, the event features musicians from the Women Composers Festival of Hartford, Conn.—including Nagoski’s twin sister, Amelia Nagoski.

Donna Lisker, dean of the college and vice president for campus life, said having a centralized, one-stop health center has already made a difference at Smith.

“The Schacht Center has improved access for our students,” Lisker said. “The facility allows us to expand our services to meet future student needs. And the beauty and serenity of the space has already made it a campus magnet.”

McCarthy said health services staff members have also noticed a difference.

“We’re heartened to see the students feeling so comfortable coming in here,” she said. “We have a lot to celebrate with this new building.”