A Health(ier) Attitude
Sara Gandy, MD appointed Director of Health & Wellness
Achieving New Heights
Elaine Barry, Ed.D
Dr. Sara Gandy has joined the Sacred Heart community this fall as the inaugural Director of Health & Wellness. Dr. Gandy’s role is central to the strategic health and wellness initiative guided by Vision 2025 and the Living Agenda.
In partnership with the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Dr. Sara Gandy has joined SHS as its first director of campus health and wellness—a hire that signals an important step forward in the institution’s multi-year commitment to improve the overall wellness of its school community. In this newly created role, Dr. Gandy is guiding the development of a long-term strategic health and wellness plan for students across all divisions, evaluating school culture, and helping implement best practices in child and adolescent mental healthcare. Additionally, she is creating a comprehensive parent education program that is aligned with the school’s mission, is responsive to timely trends, and relays the most current research in child and adolescent development. Practicing for more than 20 years, Dr. Gandy has extensive experience with adolescent psychiatry, collaborating with local schools, counselors, pediatricians, and a wide referral network of specialists. Currently affiliated with Stanford Hospital
and Stanford University’s School of Medicine, Dr. Gandy has been an attending psychiatrist with top-rated medical centers in the Bay Area, teacher and mentor to psychiatric medical residents, and past acting clinical director for Stanford’s geriatric psychiatry clinic, providing consultation as well as treatment in complex cases, family intervention, and coordination of care. The creation of this new position and Dr. Gandy’s subsequent appointment are a central part of Sacred Heart’s strategic health and wellness initiative, connected to its Living Agenda and Vision 2025. To date, other related efforts have encompassed key changes to the high school’s academic schedule and daily practices, including implementation of a “late-start” Wednesday schedule; expansion of parent education programs focused on health and wellness; a close review of school policy and education related to healthy teen sexuality; and the recent launch of a Healthy Living program for employees, geared to help in achieving work-life balance.
A member of the Sacred Heart community for nearly 30 years Elaine (Berra) Barry (SHP ’87) received her doctorate in May 2016 from the University of San Francisco’s School of Education. Barry’s Ed.D is in learning and instruction, with a concentration in Special Education. Her areas of expertise include executive function, cognitive psychology, graphic organizers, and learning differences in reading comprehension. A former language teacher with the high school, Barry currently serves as the director for Sacred Heart’s Sophie’s Scholars Program, as well as its Barat College Access Fund.
Sally Vance-Trembath Sacred Heart’s resident Catholic theologian, Sally Vance-Trembath, chalked up more entries in national media this fall. Along with her op-ed “Michelle and Hillary: A tale of two Christians,” published by global aggregate Religion News Service, Vance-Trembath authored five commentaries published on the Huffington Post—including a featured article on the connection between elections and faith.
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