Wellness Center

Circa 1980s – a nurse position was created at College of Alameda and Laney
1980s to 1989- there were masters prepared nurses at Laney, Merritt, and College of Alameda

1999-2010

• Three masters prepared nurses/health services coordinators: one at College of Alameda, Merritt and Laney (these nurses provided public health services, got TB supplies from a Doctor at Alameda County Health Services TB program, and did flu shots through Visiting Nurses Association).

1999-2002

• The nurses at Laney (Indra Thadani) and Merritt(Karen Bougae) advocated having a health fee passed with their College administration, (since most colleges in the California Community College system had a health fee and offered more health services, including mental health counseling), but was unsuccessful.

2002-2009

• Nurses at Laney worked with Trustees: Linda Handy, Abel Guillen, and Nicky Gonzalez-Yuen to get the health fee passed. Trustees Handy and Gonzalez-Yuen visited student health services off-site at local high schools and SF City College Health Center.
• Alameda County Health Services Deputy: Alex Briscoe also assisted in the process of bringing more student health services to Peralta. Trustees Handy and Gonzalez-Yuen sat on board subcommittees for planning student health services along with the nurses and other interested participants.

April 2010

• BOT Resolution passed to start student health fee in the fall of 2010.

October 2010

• PCCD contracted with Asian health services through Alameda County to have a nurse practitioner two days a week and a patient navigator five days a week at Laney: Peralta Wellness Center for all colleges. Also, a part-time mental health counselor at Merritt and COA funded by the general funds were created. The FT nurse at Laney and COA continued, and Merritt nurse retired.

2011-2012

• PCCD brought on a mental health counselor from Asian health services and contracted with Lifelong Medical Services to provide three days of mental health counseling at Berkeley City College.
• The district created two new positions for the nurses at Peralta, one became the Director of Health Services, filled by Dr. Patricia Dudley to handle most district contracts, and the other was the Director of the Peralta Wellness Center at Laney, filled by Indra Thadani RN, MS.
• A new job description for COA (and PCCD) was created to allow mental health counselors to be Health Coordinators, since the district had a job description for minimal qualifications of a master’s prepared RN to be the district director PCCD met Title V requirements to have a masters prepared nurse to lead and develop student health services.

2013

• In the fall, the district Health Services Director went back to the college of Alameda and the position was vacant for 8 months.

2014

• The Health Services Director position was filled by the Peralta wellness Center Director/Laney nurse (.75 district, .25 Laney) Indra Thadani.
• The full-time nurse at Merritt was hired, Dr. Jon Murphy who had changed assignment from the Medical Assistant program to Student Health Services.
• A new community partner, Healthy Communities, Inc brings a nurse practitioner and medical assistant to Berkeley City College, and a health insurance enrollment person to Laney.

2015

• Spring 2015 full-time health services coordinator/mental health counselor was hired at College of Alameda, Evan Schloss.
• LANEY nurse becomes full-time Health Services Director at the district, 30 hours/week while serving students at Laney as the nurse and coordinator.
• In June, a first-time District Health Services clerk II was hired who also served students at Laney as the front desk receptionist.
• In June, the contract with Asian health services ends, an RFP was created to offer health services at each college, and Healthy Communities, Inc gets the larger contract to provide nurse practitioners and medical assistants at Laney and BCC, two days a week, and a Patient Navigator(Medi-Cal enrollment specialist).

2016

• A Peralta, 20-hour nurse masters prepared nurse hired at College of Alameda.

2017

• A new community partner, Roots is brought on board to provide nurse practitioner services at COA.
• In September, the contract with Healthy Communities, INC ends abruptly due to several factors, the most salient being the loss of their clinic license.
• In September, the Roots nurse practitioner who would have been working at COA transferred to Laney (where the need is greater) and created a new public health nurse position at Berkeley city college filled by Roots. Roots also provided a Patient Navigator 1.5 days at Laney.

2018

• District VC of Academic Affairs hires a former director of health services, and an M D consultant costing $21,000 to evaluate student health services, report available. Most salient finding: student health services are highly regarded by students despite the district being dysfunctional.
• On July 1, District Director (30 hours per week) returns to Laney College full time.
• August, Interim Director hired at 20 hours/week.
• Nurse Practitioner from Roots expanded at Laney to four days
• Roots provide NP at COA and BCC, 2 days per week
• In November, the district Health Services Director was hired from faculty at Merritt, Dr. Mia Kelly and the district clerical relocate to the district offices.
• Roots provide a health navigator to enroll students into Medi-Cal and Cal Fresh, 1 day at each college.
• The Health Service Coordinator at COA leaves.
• Laney hired a full-time mental Health Specialist, Lisa Sawadogo.

2019 -2022

• The Director of Health Services, Dr. Mia Kelly left the position in the fall of 2022.
• The full-time Health Services Coordinator at Merritt left and a new coordinator was hired, Stefani Devito.
• All PCCD personnel provided online support to students.
• COA replaced the health Service Coordinator with a new Mental Health Specialist, Lisa Sawadogo.
• In the fall of 2021, Susan Yee, MFT hired as Laney’s new Mental Health Specialist.
• Roots continued to support PCCD students at their clinic site at 7272 Mac Arthur, Oakland, and then returned part-time to campuses in the late spring of 2022.