Students may have noticed a hidden vending machine in the Putnam University Center (UC), tucked behind the stairs, between the mail center and the Bistro. However, this machine does not dispense Coca-Cola or Twix: it dispenses wellness items. But how does it work, and why is it there?
This new vending machine features over-the-counter medicinal products, from Tylenol to allergy relief. It also has dental dams, menstrual cups and a “period kit,” which comes with sanitary wipes, a pad and tampon, a pair of underwear and chocolate. Additionally, the machine is stocked with important items often difficult to get at a drugstore, including Naloxone, the medication used to reverse an opioid overdose, as well as pregnancy tests and STI testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea. It also has the morning-after pill and over-the-counter birth control.
These items, while available at Walgreens or Rite Aid, may be an inconvenience to obtain or inaccessible for some, such as those without a mode of transportation off campus. Kate McLellan (’28) stated that having access to these goods on campus was “easier than the hassle of trying to find the testing somewhere else.”
The vending machine, called SimpliChek, has the benefit of being available 24/7 since the UC is always open for Willamette students with key card access. It also has the comfort of being confidential, besides the contact information required for the chlamydia and gonorrhea testing. SimpliChek works with Santiam Health, an organization of hospitals around Oregon.
Lauren Carlson, director of Bishop Wellness Center, emphasized that the machine’s purpose was to “improve access” to healthcare products and to give students the financial ability to get testing, no matter a student’s situation.
The chlamydia and gonorrhea tests go to a Santiam Health Hospital to be tested. There is a small metal drop box to the left of the SimpliChek machine that tests are placed in. Students have the option to bill their insurance, or if they do not want it billed, they can pay around $40 out-of-pocket. Carlson also spoke about the ease of it being a self-test so that students can continue to use Bishop without the added step of seeing a healthcare provider. “We really don't have a lot of staff here, so that prospect was nice,” she said.
Most students who were asked about the machine had little knowledge about its existence, not to mention where it was on campus. While the fact that it is tucked away is ideal for privacy, the biggest drawback is the challenge of locating the machine on campus. For some students like McLellan, they “didn't even know it existed.”
This is another reason Carlson and Bishop Wellness Center are trying to spread word of the machine, so the machine can have a chance of staying on campus full-time if students utilize it. If not, there is a chance it may not be returning for the 2025-2026 school year.
According to Carlson, this opportunity for a SimpliChek machine was “hard to say no to.” There is one already at the Willamette University PNCA campus through donor funding, which is how Carlson considered the addition to Salem’s campus. She hopes that through student support, they can find a way to implement it indefinitely. “If the students want it and are using it, then we really do want to find the funding so that it can continue to be present on [Willamette’s] campus.”
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