Los Gatos High School drama students have partnered with Santa Cruz Shakespeare to be a model for their educational outreach program. Featured on the Santa Cruz Shakespeare website, Los Gatos students starred in a promotional video to encourage schools and the general community to learn about Shakespeare and how his works impact the individual and the world.
After completing two workshops at Los Gatos High School last school year, the school was approached to partner with Santa Cruz Shakespeare to film a promotional video for their education outreach programs.
“The workshops were amazing,” said Los Gatos High School Drama and English Teacher Janna Rigby. “Our students enjoyed the work with text from King Lear—although many had not read it, (they) made it accessible and connected it to current-day issues.”
Santa Cruz Shakespeare has several education programs that help gain a deeper understanding of the elements and themes within Shakespeare’s plays, including a social justice focus and student internships.
“Community partnerships are an integral part of We INSPIRE!, our new Strategic Plan,” Superintendent Bill W. Sanderson said. “I am thrilled to see our students working with outside organizations, and am genuinely proud of our incredibly talented performing arts students at both schools.”
Los Gatos High School’s drama department finished their Fall play, “Clue,” and have just completed auditions for their upcoming musical, “Cinderella.” For information, visit lghs.net.
Assembly committee on mental health meets in Los Gatos
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin held a meeting of the Assembly Select Committee on California’s Mental Health Crisis in Los Gatos on Dec. 14.
The meeting featured a panel of local mental health advocates including Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Mary Ann Dewan.
The panel focused on how Santa Clara County’s state representatives and local leaders are working together to increase behavioral health and wellness services in schools while addressing the youth mental health crisis. Dewan joined Marico Sayoc, executive director of CASSY, and David Mineta, president and CEO of Momentum for Health, in a discussion about the barriers and opportunities for increasing access to mental health services.
Over the last few years, state legislators including Pellerin have invested more than $8 billion in two youth-focused initiatives to increase access to behavioral health professionals and preventative services—the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and the California Community Schools Partnership Project.
“Eroding stigmas around mental illness starts with educating and supporting youth when they are struggling with their mental health,” Pellerin said. “I am proud of the investments California has made in bolstering access to behavioral health care for youth; however, plenty of our youth still seem to be slipping through the cracks. There is a growing recognition of the importance of addressing mental health issues among children and adolescents, and California is dedicated to expanding access to quality care and support.”
“Recent state investments have allowed the Santa Clara County Office of Education to partner with school districts to open 19 school-based wellness centers in the last two years,” Dewan said. “Students are 21 times more likely to access mental health services when they are available on school campuses. Fourteen thousand Santa Clara County children have accessed our wellness centers since their openings and 97% of the wellness centers’ visitors have indicated that the wellness center improved their mental health.”
El Camino Health earns Top Hospital award
El Camino Health has been named a Top Hospital of 2023 by The Leapfrog Group. Of the more than 2,100 hospitals considered by the Leapfrog Group, El Camino Health was among 35 general hospitals to earn this distinction.
“We are honored to be recognized as one of the top hospitals by The Leapfrog Group,” said Dan Woods, chief executive officer at El Camino Health. “Being among a small group of general hospitals nationwide to earn this accolade coupled with our recent A grade, this award is a reflection of the collaborative care environment we have at El Camino Health which is made possible by the our incredible physicians, caregivers and staff members.”
To qualify for the distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety and achieve top performance in their category.
“As the locally trusted healthcare provider, we remain committed to helping members of our community live their best lives by providing safe, high-quality care every day to our patients,” Woods said.
More than 2,100 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those, El Camino Health received a Top General distinction.
The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care, and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors.
“Protecting patients from preventable harm is the cornerstone of The Leapfrog Group’s mission,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “El Camino Health has demonstrated that patient safety is their top priority, and we’re truly pleased to recognize them as a Top Hospital this year. Congratulations to your hospital staff at all levels who made this national recognition possible.”
El Camino Health has two not-for-profit acute care hospitals in Los Gatos and Mountain View, and primary care, multi-specialty care and urgent care locations across the region.
