- Behavioral Health, Pediatrics, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been particularly hard for kids. When school turned virtual last spring, students lost daily contact with friends and teachers. Many students may feel disconnected from school since they are at home. Or they feel isolated without their classmates around. Like many of us, they might be feeling like there are no boundaries between home life and school life. Despite these challenges, it is possible to remain confident and positive. Even if the school year looks different. Here are a few tips to help boost your child’s mental health while attending virtual school. Follow a daily routine: Sticking to a schedule for school days is important. Getting a good night’s sleep is necessary for mental health. Make sure your child goes to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning, leaving enough time to go through a regular morning routine. That may include taking a shower, brushing teeth, changing out of pajamas and eating breakfast. Talk to friends: Kids should talk with friends during breaks in the day as they normally would. FaceTime or set up a Zoom chat during lunch with friends. Try to avoid mid-day naps during break periods. Make sure your child continues to talk to friends after school and on weekends to avoid feeling disconnected. Go outside: Set aside time to have your child go outside at least once during the school day. If they start to feel sad, anxious, or frustrated, have them step away from the computer and go outside to walk, run or play. Have them try a few slow deep breaths to regulate their body and calm their heart rate so they can go on with the rest of the day. Have a designated classroom space: No one wants to feel like they are at school all the time. If possible, have a designated space that is just for schoolwork. Go to that room once the school day starts, and leave when it’s over. This will help your child draw boundaries between school and relaxation time. Make time for laughter and fun: We’re all going through something new and uncertain. Mistakes will happen, and that’s OK. It’s still important to make time for fun with friends and teachers, and maybe even start a new hobby. More fun means less stress. If your child is feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out for support whenever necessary. Don’t feel like you are expected to do everything alone. With a positive attitude and positive thoughts, you and your child can have a great school year. Author Jennifer Williams, MA, LPC, LCPC, is a mental health professional at Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Mental Health Specialists, located in Annapolis. To reach her, call 410-573-9000.
- Men's Health, Weight Loss, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe majority of our decisions about what to eat are on autopilot and often happen without us even thinking about them. Did you know that when you decide to change your diet, over 200 food-related decisions per day are impacted? From eating out to grocery shopping, all of these decisions are well rehearsed. On average, a grocery store will carry over 39,000 different items. Though variety is considered the ‘spice of life,’ the vast amount of food variety plays a role in overconsumption in our society. Research on food variety and its effects is emerging. In one interesting experiment done with M&M’s candy, researchers wanted to see what would happen if they gave moviegoers more color choices. They found that those who were given 10 different colors ate 43 percent more than those given the same amount of M&M’s in seven colors. READ MORE: What’s for dinner? New school year brings new pace of life You make fewer decisions over the course of the day when you automate your healthy choices , which helps you make it easier to choose healthier options. One way to eat healthier is to automate by meal planning. Too often, we let convenience, busy schedules and mindless eating derail our best intentions. Willpower is a resource that gets used up as the day goes on. The more decisions you have to make, the less willpower you have by the end of the day. If you automate your healthy choices, you make fewer decisions over the course of the day, which makes it easier to choose healthier options later in the day – a prime time for overdoing it. You are ahead of the game because you can choose something automatically instead of trying to use willpower. Here is a helpful guideline on how to automate by meal prepping: Eat the same breakfast and lunch every day. At least the template should be similar – a protein, fruit, vegetable and milk or starch. For breakfast, you could have oatmeal with fruit or a veggie omelet and fruit. For lunch, you could warm up some soup or a sandwich and pair it with some fruit. Alternatively, you could have some leftover chicken and green vegetables with seasonal fruit. You can mix things up at dinner and use the remaining willpower. Make meal planning and grocery shopping a given. Pick a block of time for planning your meals (perhaps in the car when commuting or transporting kids to activities) and then make your grocery list. Try to shop and prepare meals about the same time every week so it becomes part of your routine. Prep food ahead of time. Sundays are usually down days, which leaves time to tackle the preparation. If you really dislike cooking or prepping, consider purchasing prepared foods that fill the bill, such as already cooked chicken breast or various vegetable salads. Freeze meals. While prepping on Sundays, also pull out the crock-pot and make chili, a hearty soup, spaghetti sauce, lentil stew, etc. This will help you freeze and fill any unexpected gaps. Find foods you enjoy and that fit in the five food groups to slowly build a repertoire of satisfying meals. The effort in the beginning will be more time consuming, but the payoff will be worth the effort and repetition leads to balanced, healthy meals. Enjoy! Authors Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford are nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them, call 443-481-5555. Originally published July 8, 2019. Last updated Sept. 16, 2025.
- Behavioral Health, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed our lives in ways we never could have expected. For many people, these changes have been difficult. Now more than ever, it is important to reach out for help if you are beginning to suffer mentally and emotionally. Here is what we want you to know. Support groups can help For people already dealing with mental health concerns, isolation has been one of the hardest parts of the pandemic. Humans are social creatures. Many who had relied on community resources for support, such as senior centers, day programs, and wellness centers, were left in vulnerable positions when those gathering places closed. Many people are also experiencing grief as a result of the pandemic, even if they haven’t lost anyone due to COVID-19. Some people may have flare ups of depression and anxiety as a result. People may even develop new cases of depression and anxiety, even if this wasn’t previously an issue. Mental health support groups can be a huge help. It’s comforting to know that someone else is going through the same thing you are, that you are not alone. They also give you the opportunity to learn from others. And because many groups are virtual due to the pandemic, it’s easy to log on from whatever device you choose. Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC) COVID-19 Loss and Grief Support Group is one of those groups. Sessions are held via Zoom and are for anyone affected by the virus. The group, led by AAMC’s Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, meets Wednesdays from 5-6:30 pm. To join, email [email protected]. Support for Children Keep in mind that these are hard times for our kids, too. Their lives – including school routines, activities and gatherings with friends – look completely different today than they did a year ago. A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that 71% of parents worry about the effect the pandemic has had on their children’s social skills. Meanwhile, 55% of parents say their children have been acting out more since the pandemic started. Kids thrive on structure. This is important to remember as the school year begins and many are enrolled in online classes. Build breaks into their schedules and make sure they are getting outside. A little fresh air and sunshine can do wonders. We encourage parents to make time to talk to their kids and find out how they are coping. Even if you don’t have a lot of extra time these days, a five-minute conversation can make a difference. Pay attention to changes in their eating and sleeping habits and call your doctor with concerns. AAMC is also working on setting up a COVID-19 support group for teens. To learn more, email [email protected]. But don’t forget, parents need to look out for their own mental health, too. You can’t take care of anyone else if you aren’t first taking care of yourself. We are safe, ready and open If you or someone you love is experiencing mental health issues, whether it’s because of COVID-19 or something else, please don’t hesitate to seek help. Early in the pandemic, we set up telehealth services for patients, allowing them to get care from the comfort of their homes. AAMC’s Psychiatric Day Hospital along with our outpatient clinics offer both in-person and online services. Our hospital, including our Emergency Department, Pathways and the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center, all have procedures in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19. We are safe, ready and open for you. There is always help, and there is always hope. Authors Eric Anderson, MD, FAPA, is the medical director of the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center. Cindy Radovic, MA, BSN-BC, is clinical director of Emergency and Inpatient Mental Health Services at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
- Behavioral Health, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogToday (9/23), the Maryland Health Care Commission voted to approve Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center’s (LHDCMC) Certificate of Need (CON) application for a 16-bed adult inpatient behavioral health unit. This is an incredible step forward for expanding access to critically needed mental health care in our community. Building on the legacy Luminis Health has established with mental health care in Anne Arundel County, this new behavioral health unit will allow LHDCMC to expand comprehensive and integrated mental health care right here in Prince George’s County. Today’s positive vote means we can move forward with our plans to begin construction of the inpatient unit this fall, with doors opening to our community in the winter of 2022. This is in addition to the construction of our outpatient programs, which is expected to be complete in spring 2022. Across both areas, our new behavioral health pavilion will include inpatient psychiatric care for adults, outpatient therapy and medication management, walk-in urgent care, psychiatric day treatment programs (partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient), family support services, prevention programs, and care coordination with community-based support services. These programs and services would be impossible without the support of Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the county council and health department and their commitment to the needs of our community. We continue to work in close partnership to deliver these much needed services. I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your support. Many of you have been with us from the beginning, and provided impactful letters of support as part of our application. The support of everyone in our Luminis Health family and our community has helped bring this approval for much needed inpatient behavioral health services. I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress. Thank you, Deneen Richmond, president of Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center
- Behavioral Health, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWith a significant rise in the need for mental health services, Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDMC) will soon offer a broad continuum of services for people dealing with mental health issues and substance use disorders. Today, Victoria Bayless, chief executive officer of Luminis Health, and Deneen Richmond, president of LHDCMC, joined Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and other local and state key stakeholders for the ribbon cutting of the new Behavioral Health Services Building located on the hospital’s Lanham campus. “Mental health impacts all of us, and we know many in our community are struggling, and even more so through the global pandemic,” says Bayless. “When Luminis Health was formed in 2019, we made a commitment to increase access to high-quality care in Prince George’s County. Today, we deliver on that promise by making healthcare easier, more personal, and built for the communities we call home.” Major funding for the project was made possible through a $20 million grant from Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and the Prince George’s County Council. “We are excited to celebrate the grand opening of the Luminis Behavioral Health Facility,” says Alsobrooks. “We have looked forward to this day for a while, and today is proof of what happens when we capitalize on a time of rising opportunity for our residents. Prince George’s County has had some longstanding challenges in providing residents with access to behavioral healthcare, but with the opening of this facility, Prince Georgians will now have access to the high-quality healthcare they need right here at home.” This July, we will open first floor ambulatory services: Outpatient Mental Health Center (OMHC): Therapy and medication management for adults at the beginning, evolving to include children Behavioral Health Walk-In Urgent Care: For non-emergent behavioral health concerns for all ages Psychiatric Day Treatment Program (PDTP): Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for adults and adolescents 8-bed Addiction Residential Service Substance use disorder intensive outpatient treatment program “This facility will provide much needed access to behavioral health care and will ensure people receive the care they need, close to home,” says Richmond. “We’ve served this community for more than 45 years, and the opening of this facility will help us fulfill our mission of enhancing the health of the people and communities we serve.” The second phase, a 16-bed adult inpatient psychiatric unit on the second floor, is scheduled to open this December.
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