Division of Health and Wellness

A Message from BGSU Chief Health and Wellness Officer

At Bowling Green State University, we are dedicated to the health and wellness of our Falcon family, neighbors and friends.  

Whether you are a faculty or staff member or student, we can all be accountable for creating a supportive community where we can recognize if an individual is in need of help. Healthy living is part of designing the life you want to lead. We focus on integrating ways to support students, faculty and staff across campus, physically, mentally and emotionally, to achieve their best health.

As the chief health and wellness officer at BGSU, it is my goal to help elevate the health and well-being of our campus community to ensure that our students, faculty and staff have access to resources and programs that will improve their health and well-being. A few key services and initiatives include:

  • Community of Care - The BGSU Community of Care initiative requires campus-wide responsibility for acting on situations that can have significant impact on individuals and the campus community including alcohol and substance misuse and abuse, diversity and inclusion, hazing, mental health and suicide prevention and sexual misconduct/Title IX.
  • Accessibility – The mission of Accessibility Services at Bowling Green State University is to provide equal access and opportunity to qualified students, faculty and staff with disabilities. Our goal is to increase awareness of disability issues and support the success of students with disabilities by providing opportunities for full integration into the BGSU community.
  • Counseling Center – The Counseling Center strives to promote the psychological well-being of students from diverse backgrounds; to foster their development, learning, and academic success; and to provide appropriate intervention when students are experiencing serious mental health concerns. 
  • Wellness Connection – The Wellness Connection at BGSU is committed to supporting healthy lifestyle behaviors through programs that incorporate all aspects of wellness. Comprehensive services include free HIV testing, online tools and assessments and educational opportunities that foster optimum health and wellness for BGSU students and the community.
  • Falcon Health Center – The Falcon Health Center, a collaborative facility between BGSU and Wood County Hospital, is at the corner of South College and Wooster streets. Preventative and illness-related health services are provided by a medical staff of physicians, nurse practitioners and a team of supportive colleagues, including a student insurance office.

At BGSU, we want to build your best life – and the University is here to give you all of the tools you need to instill lifelong wellness.

In health and wellness,

ben batey signature

Ben Batey, MPH, RN
Chief Health and Wellness Officer
Hazing Prevention Coordinator

Ben Batey, MPH, RN

Ben Batey, MPH, RN, joined BGSU in July 2020 in the inaugural position of Chief Health Officer, created in part as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Batey worked at the Wood County Health Department for 10 years, where he served as health commissioner since 2014. He also held several leadership positions including CEO of the Wood County Community Health Center, director of nursing and infectious disease, emergency preparedness coordinator and epidemiologist. Prior to the health department, he was a registered nurse for Mercy St. Anne Hospital and Mercy Home Care. He holds a Master of Public Health degree from Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health (Bowling Green State University/University of Toledo) and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mercy College of Ohio.

Updated: 04/10/2023 11:14AM