Kaiser Permanente hosted the inaugural Thriving Schools Summit, an educational and networking event aimed at revolutionizing school health and wellness in the region on Tuesday, Aug. 6. This first-of-its-kind summit brought together more than 125 school leaders, health professionals, and community stakeholders from Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia for insightful discussions and best-practice sharing around the toughest health and wellness issues facing educators today.
During the summit, the regional president of Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, Israel Rocha Jr., discussed the need for cross-sector collaboration to promote Thriving Schools. “Just like in healthcare, education professionals are confronted with many challenges while serving students and families. As frontline care teams, we both have unique resources to help. We hope today offers a window on how healthcare providers and educators can unite their resources to offer even more assistance for those we serve.”
The summit convened school leaders and stakeholders from school districts across the DC, Maryland and Virginia region who heard from cross-functional panels that addressed crucial health topics like the impact of social media on youth, strategies for enhancing school safety, and promoting staff wellness. At the summit, participants engaged in a dynamic Working in Resilient Environments (WIRE) Workshop to discover ways to foster connections in the workplace through theatre and arts-based methodology. Participants also shared best practices and innovative strategies to enhance school health.
“To quote the CDC, nearly every teenager (95%) in America uses social media and yet we do not have evidence to say that it’s safe,” said Dr. Tierra Oseji, pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente, who offered her perspective on the consequences that social media can have for child and teen mental health and development.
Dr. Lewis Ferebee, chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools, provided opening remarks at the Thriving Schools Summit calling on the need to invest in “critical programs” that help students. Programs that DCPS supports includes “We the Girls,” a leadership program to support young women of color and their peers. “When you [the students]have that sense of purpose, you [the students]operate differently.”
For more information about Kaiser Permanente’s Thriving Schools initiatives, visit thrivingschools.kaiserpermanente.org.
About Kaiser Permanente:
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.
