Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/822129
PATRONS | Sring 2017 10 PROGRESS NOTES T he counselors at Palos Verdes High School were seeing more of their students coming into the office with issues like stress, anxiety and depression, but their hands were tied when it came to providing them with help. "ere was a lack of resources for mental health and wellness within our school and district wide. Many students were coming into the counselor's office unable to cope," says Kristen Nelson, counselor at PVHS. To address these and other mental health issues, the counselors and administrators at PVHS created a mental health program and dedicated Wellness Room with help from Torrance Memorial Medical Center and other local organizations. "We decided to reach out to our community to help create a space for students to relax and relieve stress. It also serves as the hub for our new mental health and support services," Nelson says. Students can visit the Wellness Room and indulge in tea, granola bars and other snacks while enjoying peaceful music and aromatherapy. e room is the center of the high school's mental health and wellness program, which aims to provide students with mental health education and tools throughout the year. Besides student stress packs and other resources, the program offers group and individual counseling sessions with therapy dogs, yoga classes and guest speakers. Some of the topics include nutrition and exercise, mindfulness, sleep and healthy relationships. "In addition to being supportive throughout the process, Torrance Memorial was the biggest partner in helping with ideas and the development of the program. ey provided us with resources such as handouts and DVDs that cover mental health topics," Nelson says."We hope to continue to build our relationship with Torrance Memorial and serve as a resource for them as well." Palos Verdes High School Tackles Teen Mental Health Healthgrades recently named Torrance Memorial Medical Center as a recipient of its 2017 Outstanding Patient Experience Award. Four hundred and forty three hospitals received the award, representing the top-15 percent of hospitals in the nation for patient experience. Healthgrades analyzed patient experience surveys over an eight-year period to identify questions most closely associated with a top overall rating of nine or 10 and a response of "Yes, I would recommend this hospital." e response that had the highest correlation to both ratings was, "nurses always communicate well." Healthgrades evaluated 3,489 hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient experience surveys to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) covering admissions from April 2015 to March 2016. Healthgrades is a leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. To view the full grade and to access consumer-friendly patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org. Counselors Chris na Sunada, Paula Stapleton, Megan Lichter, Kristen Nelson, Amerika McHugh, Lindsey Marinkovich (pictured in the new Wellness Room) help develop and oversee the mental health program at Palos Verdes High School. Torrance Memorial Receives Outstanding Patient Experience Award