Letter from the Director

FROM THE CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER

As I review the 2018-2019 year at USC Student Health, the organization has moved forward to bring about incredible changes in a very short period of time. The most significant is the transition of our nearly 200-person organization as an integrated part of Keck Medicine of USC, with the full credentialing of all clinicians in medical and behavioral health, and the oversight of patient safety and care standards through a top academic medical enterprise. With significant new hires in counseling and mental health, clinical operations, prevention education, and data analysis, the organization made significant strides in expanding access to care for USC students and improving quality of care operations. In this period of time:

• Twelve new counselors were added to Counseling and Mental Health, increasing the number of clinicians by 50 percent. This brought USC Student Health in line with the national average of 1:1000 ratio of clinicians to students.

• Newly created violence prevention specialists designed a required consent education program for new undergraduate students, bringing the definitions and skills to negotiate affirmative consent to the most at-risk population.

• New providers were recruited to the organization, including specialists in gynecology, adolescent medicine, and primary care.

• Training programs for all employees were implemented across the organization, including practical training on trauma-informed care, and special considerations for serving vulnerable populations, including sexual assault survivors and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Our greatest strength continues to be our community. USC is a special place where students, faculty, and staff have a great interest in the continuous improvement of care for our populations. We continue to exchange ideas with our peers in the faculty and provider community, adopt best practices from national models in college health, engage with our patients and encourage them to be active participants in managing their care, and continue to earn our place as the trusted source for care and information for a healthy campus.

Sarah Van Orman, MD, MMM, FACHA