Table of Contents
Overview
Student well-being remains one of the most urgent priorities in higher education. Union College’s experience illustrates how institutions can move beyond basic access to implement a virtual student well-being solution that delivers measurable outcomes, equity, and engagement.
This blog outlines key lessons for Vice Presidents of Student Affairs (VPSAs) navigating similar challenges with limited resources, and how choosing the right partner, not just a vendor, can transform student outcomes.
The Evolving Challenge of Student Wellness
For today’s VPSAs, few topics are more pressing than student wellness. The higher education landscape has shifted, with increasing mental health needs, overextended counseling centers, and the growing expectation of 24/7 care.
Union College’s journey, shared by Dr. Marcus Hotaling in a recent TimelyCare webinar, offers a practical case study in how to move from access to outcomes, leveraging data, partnership, and a URAC-accredited model to ensure students not only stay in school but thrive in their lives.
What Does Success Look Like in Student Wellness?
When Union College first partnered with a virtual care provider in 2021, the goal was straightforward: increase access to care. But as Dr. Hotaling emphasized, “access alone wasn’t enough.”
“We wanted to see students actually utilize the resource,” he explained.
While the previous vendor offered unlimited sessions, engagement remained low. Students were frustrated with short 30-minute appointments and limited continuity of care.
For Union, success meant measurable impact, not just more sessions. They wanted to track PHQ-9 and GAD-7 improvements, see higher utilization, and prove outcomes that mattered: retention, engagement, and well-being.
When to Reevaluate Your Wellness Strategy
As student needs evolved, Union College’s counseling team recognized areas where their current approach could be enhanced and decided to explore a new virtual care provider.
Low engagement
Students signed up for virtual care but didn’t follow through.
Limited data
Dashboards lacked visibility into virtual care attendance, cancellations, or no-shows.
Equity gaps
The institution’s small team of six counselors couldn’t meet the identity and cultural needs of the entire student body.
As Dr. Hotaling noted, “We can’t possibly match every identity with six staff members. Virtual care allowed us to offer the representation and reach we couldn’t achieve on our own.”
For Union, ensuring cultural responsiveness and identity-centered, inclusive care became a cornerstone of their next step. This aligns perfectly with TimelyCare’s focus on equity as a measurable outcome.
Choosing a Virtual Care Partner That Drives Outcomes
After three years of challenges with its virtual care provider and constructive feedback from students, Union made the switch to TimelyCare, the only virtual student well-being provider that proves outcomes clinically, academically, and financially.
The decision to change virtual care providers hinged on three key criteria:
1. Superior Quality of Care
Ensuring access to 50-minute sessions that align with evidence-based best practices, delivered through a URAC-accredited model and directly managed clinical network.
2. Measured Impact
Gain visibility to campus-specific dashboards, real-time data, and the Five Proofs of Impact framework for transparency and accountability.
3. Trusted Partnership
A dedicated campus success team, shared adoption goals, and ready-to-launch marketing and communication support.
“The transition was smooth and painless,” Hotaling said. “TimelyCare provided clear protocols and student-facing campaigns that made implementation effortless.”
How Union College Engaged Students Faster
Union College saw immediate improvements, particularly with TalkNow, which connects students to a licensed counselor in under four minutes.
“If a student wakes up at 2 a.m. with test anxiety, TalkNow is there. It’s not about scheduling days in advance, it’s immediate,” said Hotaling.
Union also expanded its approach beyond crisis care by leveraging health coaching for time management, executive functioning, and resilience building, extending well-being to proactive student development.
This Step Care Model, which guides students from on-demand support to scheduled counseling and psychiatry as needed, ensured continuity, quality, and scalability.
What Success Looks Like: Outcomes That Matter
Since launching TimelyCare, Union College has seen meaningful, measurable outcomes:
- Increased utilization across diverse student populations.
- Improved clinical outcomes, with a majority of students showing PHQ-9 and GAD-7 improvements by their third visit.
- Real-time access to documentation and care coordination through EHR integration.
- Streamlined reporting to support donor accountability and institutional goals.
“If one student stays enrolled because of these services,” Hotaling said, “that alone pays for the program.”
Key Lessons for VPSAs Evaluating Virtual Care Providers
Union’s experience initially partnering with a virtual care provider that didn’t meet their needs before switching to TimelyCare gives other campus leaders important considerations when making this decision for their school:
1. Define your success metrics early.
Build around engagement, outcomes, and retention.
2. Watch for early warning signs.
Low adoption or limited data visibility often signal deeper issues.
3. Prioritize equity and representation.
Partner with a provider that ensures inclusive, identity-centered care.
4. Choose a partner, not just a vendor.
Look for shared KPIs, data transparency, and co-owned adoption plans.
The Path Forward to a Healthy Campus
In an era of tightening budgets and growing student needs, VPSAs face the challenge of expanding access to care without overextending staff or resources.
Union College’s story shows that transformation is possible when institutions align with a partner who delivers proof, not promises. Colleges and universities need a virtual care provider that drives measurable outcomes, ensures quality care through accreditation, and empowers students to stay enrolled, engaged, and well.
With TimelyCare, campuses can move from challenges to change, and from access to outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- Union College improved engagement and quality by choosing TimelyCare, the URAC-accredited virtual student well-being provider that proves outcomes.
- 50-minute sessions, data transparency, and inclusive provider access were key to success.
- TalkNow and health coaching extended support beyond crisis response into proactive development.
- Data-driven insights and Five Proofs of Impact enabled leadership to demonstrate ROI and retention lift.
- VPSAs should prioritize equity, partnership alignment, and outcome measurement when evaluating solutions.
FAQs
Low engagement, limited data, and equity gaps led Union to seek a partner focused on measured impact and quality of care, not just access.
A URAC-accredited model, longer sessions, integrated data, and holistic support including health coaching and TalkNow.
According to Union, implementation was seamless, supported by dedicated success teams and on-demand marketing assets.
Union reported higher engagement, improved clinical outcomes, and better data visibility to track institutional goals, proof that partnership and outcomes go hand in hand.
