- Behavioral Health, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogRemember when you used to play on the playground as a child? Going to the playground didn’t only mean you were going to play, it meant you were going to laugh, run around, scream, fall, probably cry a little bit, just to get back up and keep laughing and running without a care in the world. It was the best thing ever. What we didn’t realize as children is that a lot more was happening. Not only were we having a great time while our parents were not watching our every step, we were also getting physically, mentally, emotionally and cognitively stronger. A playground should be thought of as an “opportunity ground.” Recent research attests to the fact that play is an essential tool in a child’s development. Actually, play is so significant to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child. Outdoor free play gives kids invaluable benefits. But not just children – everyone really. As the adventure therapy coordinator at Pathways, Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC) substance use and co-occurring disorder treatment facility, I’ve witnessed how adventure and play can help, even with individuals who are fighting the very serious issues of addiction and substance abuse. READ MORE: What do Healthy Minds Need? Adventure therapy allows folks to see that they can do something they deemed as impossible. We try to convey the lessons learned during therapy in their day-to-day lives, showing them how to trust themselves and trust others – even when those “others” are people like them going through rehabilitation. Play is an opportunity for children to use their creativity while developing other crucial life skills, according to research by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Here are some of the many benefits your child attains when playing: Physical. For children, it’s just fun to run and jump around. But research shows active play is critical for a child’s physical development. When kids are playing, they are honing their coordination, balance, space awareness and fine- and gross-motor skills. Physically active kids also tend to be leaner and healthier. In addition, physical play uses up natural stores of energy, which leads to better eating and sleeping habits – which also means better sleep for parents! Double win. Emotional. Play can be an emotional outlet, acting as therapy for some children who might be emotionally distressed from a traumatic situation. Research shows that play helps children release and “play out” their current emotional state – from fear, frustration, anger and aggression – all while teaching them how to express and regulate feelings. It’s also a chance for them to practice empathy and understanding. Social. By playing with others, children learn how to create and maintain friendships. Cooperative play helps kids sharpen their social skills while learning how to negotiate group dynamics. It gives them the opportunity to learn how to collaborate and cooperate with others, recognize and respond to different feelings, share, show kindness, resolve conflicts and follow the rules. Plus, social skills also support academic success. Cognitive. The most crucial time for a child’s brain development is from birth to age three, when the brain is developing at the fastest rate in a child’s lifetime. During this time, their brains are like sponges, quickly absorbing learning skills, like paying attention, reasoning, remembering what they’ve learned and motor skills. Play with your child to stimulate brain development and reinforce these skills! Choose brain-teasers, puzzles and strategy-based games to help strengthen their critical thinking skills. Creative. Creativity will continue to serve kids throughout their lives. Play is a chance for kids to let loose their imaginations and create their own worlds, giving them the freedom to explore new possibilities and think outside the box. Communication. By listening, observing and sometimes noticing subtle clues, such as body language or facial expressions, they’re developing this skill. Pretend play comes in handy for communication development and literacy. Role-play is also a chance to use words kids have heard from adults and other kids, improving their vocabulary. The list could go on and on. It’s not all about just fun and games, play is really an important teaching tool that can lead to developing necessary skills for the rest of a child’s life. Next time you’re out with your child or at home, join them. The benefits of play apply to everyone. Author Mark Sakraida is the adventure therapy coordinator at Pathways, AAMC’s substance use and co-occurring disorder treatment facility. Ask questions, find resources and learn more at askAAMC.org/HealthyMinds.0
- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMany of us have had a Snickers bar or two and could probably eat the candy bar every day. But, we know it’s not nourishing. A candy bar is not a hearty meal with vegetables, protein and fruits. Instead, it’s a quick sugar fix that wears off. Then, we want more and more of it. If we only ate candy bars – as tasty as they are – our health would deteriorate. Digital devices are very similar. The constant connection to others, and even the sound of a ringtone, give us instant gratification. But that gratification quickly wears off – just like a sugar fix – only to leave us wanting more. As a result, our health is impacted in more than just one way. We are spending more time than ever before watching videos, browsing social media and swiping screens on tablets and smartphones. Research shows the average American adult spends more than 11 hours per day interacting with media on digital devices. We are developing a digital addiction. Technology can have a negative impact on our mental and physical health. When we are constantly connected, it can cause psychological issues, such as distraction, expectation of instant gratification and even depression. Physically, it can cause vision problems, hearing loss and even neck strain. Here are a few steps you can take for a digital detox to recharge your mind and improve your quality of life: Plan quality time with others. Before sitting down at the dinner table, put your phone away and ask others to do the same. This will make room for conversation and, if practiced frequently, it can improve your relationships and quality of life. Change your ringtones. If you have to keep your phone around due to your work or profession once you get home, change the tone of your notifications to distinguish work-related calls over calls that can wait until later. Delete unnecessary apps. You’re likely hoarding apps. You need your phone for calls, texts and emails. Do you really need all those other apps? Be selective. Keep one or two that you absolutely need. Schedule some offline time. Make sure to put your phone down to relax for a couple of hours, especially before bedtime. Multiple studies have shown that blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle. Set your phone on sleep mode and disable any buzzing, as that could also lead to distracting emotions and thoughts. It can even cause anxiety that can interrupt your sleep. Set the example. Don’t forget, if you’re a parent or have young children around, they’re paying attention to your every move. If you put your phone down, this will teach them to do the same. If you treat your phone as a luxury item instead of a necessity, you’ll soon realize that it’s meant to be enjoyed sometimes but not lived by. And just like you wouldn’t eat a candy bar every day, you should consider putting your digital devices away more often. This will help you build meaningful relationships and take care of your physical and mental health. Plus, it’s good to detoxify once in a while! Visit Luminis.Health/BehavioralHealth to learn more about Luminis Behavioral Health Care or to schedule an appointment.0
- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogCue the shocking emoji: A staggering 90 percent of teens aged 13 to 17 are using social media. When used correctly, there are benefits to social media, but the negative impacts are contributing to this country’s historic mental health crisis. Excessive use can lead to cyberbullying, low self-esteem, addictive behavior, peer pressure and unrealistic expectations of how their body should look. Dr. Rakesh Goyal—a psychiatrist at Luminis Health—estimates that nearly 70 percent of his young patients have experienced a negative impact to their mental health because of social media. It’s become such a problem several Maryland school districts are now suing social media companies alleging their addictive platforms are contributing to mental health problems among teens. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy even issued a warning recently, calling the impacts of social media on children an “urgent crisis.” It should be a wake-up call for all of us. That’s why we’re here to help. Pros of Youth Social Media Use Let’s first begin with the positive aspects of social media. Teens can stay connected with friends, meet new ones with shared interests, find a sense of community and feel more accepted, as well as explore and express themselves. Of course, each child is different, and you know your child better than anyone. It’s important to realize the impacts of social media can depend on what they do and see online, their preexisting strengths or vulnerabilities, and their living environment. Those between the ages of 10 to 15 years old are especially vulnerable to the influence of social media because their brains and emotions are still developing. Growing Brains and Evolving Emotions The brains of preteens, typically between the ages of 10 to 12 years, undergo changes that make social rewards start to feel much more satisfying. Receptors for oxytocin and dopamine—our “happy hormones”—increase, making young teens extra sensitive to attention and admiration from others. At the same time, adolescents are passing through a stage of psychological development in which they give a lot of importance to acceptance and validation from their peers. The number of views, likes and shares are often important to social media users. It can cause small bursts of dopamine in our brains. Young people especially crave more and more of the “happy hormone” release. At the same time, a hurtful comment or being ignored by others can cause negative self-esteem and extreme sadness. Protecting Your Child There are steps you can take with your child to encourage responsible use of social media and limit some of its negative effects. Consider these tips: Delay the age at which your child can use social media to 13 and above. Educate your child about the risks, pitfalls and red flags of social media use, especially about sharing personal information online. Monitor your child’s social media accounts and let them know beforehand that you’ll be doing so. You can mute accounts that are inappropriate. Set reasonable limits on how much time your child can spend on social media each day; include parameters about what time of day they are allowed to use it. Remind them to treat others on social media the same way they would treat others in person. If they wouldn’t say something out loud, they shouldn’t say it online. Be an example of healthy social media use for your child and report problematic content. Social media is here to stay. But we must ensure teenagers enjoy the its benefits while protecting their mental health. If your teen is feeling depressed and needs immediate help, Luminis Health has a dedicated Behavioral Health Urgent Walk-In Care at our Lanham campus. It’s open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. No appointment necessary. Learn more about our services here. Author Rakesh Goyal, MD, is a psychiatrist at Luminis Health specializing in children and adolescents.0
- Community, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogFor nearly 120 years, we’ve been providing high-quality and personalized care for you and your loved ones. Our commitment expanded two years ago when we formed Luminis Health. In this month’s What’s Up Magazine, our CEO Tori Bayless, shares how the name came to be, and our approach to better health care. Here is the article: Anyone who has ever picked out a name—whether for a newborn baby, an adopted pet, or even a boat—knows that names help shape an identity. For Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC), the name Luminis Health reflects our identity. To understand the origins of the name, it’s important to take a look at the history behind AAMC. In 1902, Annapolis Emergency Hospital was founded in Maryland’s capital city, housed in a farmhouse off Duke of Gloucester Street. Over the next 119 years, that hospital would grow and evolve in many ways, and with each evolution, the hospital’s name would change to reflect its expanded service to our community. With the growth of Anne Arundel County after WWII, the hospital expanded to meet the needs of a booming population in greater Annapolis. With an increasing number of births, a growing orthopedics specialty, and the beginning advancements of modern medicine, Annapolis Emergency Hospital changed its name to Anne Arundel General Hospital to reflect its expanded services and geography. When the hospital’s Board of Trustees voted to purchase 104 acres on Jennifer Road in 1984, the next evolution was signaled, as hospital and community leaders began to envision a new, comprehensive system of health care for family, friends, and neighbors. In 1988, the Board of Trustees voted to change the formal name to Anne Arundel General Health Care System for the “parent organization,” with the hospital name being changed to Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) in 1989. Within three years, Anne Arundel General Health Care System would include not only AAMC, but also a new addiction treatment facility called Pathways. As pressures on health care providers increased at the turn of the 21st century, AAMC leaders recognized that growth was vital to its mission for several important reasons. First and foremost, access to quality care for all who needed it inspired AAMC to build pavilions across the region, from Easton, Centreville, and Kent Island on the Eastern Shore, to Bowie, to Pasadena in North County, and Odenton farther west. The goal was simple—bring high-quality care closer to where people live and work. The second reason was, perhaps, more complicated but equally important. As large systems absorbed smaller hospitals throughout the state, AAMC’s leadership was committed to maintaining its independence to ensure it could continue to deliver its own brand of patient- and family-centered care. In order to maintain its independence, continued growth and scale would be imperative. When Doctors Community Hospital (now Doctors Community Medical Center or DCMC for short) recognized that they needed to be a part of a larger organization to ensure they could continue to serve the Prince George’s County community, they sought to become a part of Anne Arundel Health System. In 2019, our Board of Trustees approved AAMC and DCMC coming together to form a new health system: Luminis Health. The result is easier access to more locations—from the Eastern Shore, through Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties, and well into Southern Maryland—enhanced quality, and improved health outcomes. “Luminis” supports our commitment to being a beacon of hope and healing for our communities. “Health” shares our commitment to sick care and well care, education, and healthy living. Luminis Health brings together a century-plus legacy of compassionate service to patients and families, a commitment to lighting the way to the highest quality, personalized health care for all who need it. Now, as Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, our Annapolis campus continues to be home to Maryland’s busiest emergency department, largest joint replacement and bariatrics/weight loss programs, second busiest birthing center, and world-class cancer program. The new name of Luminis Health is yet another landmark for a hospital and health system that has been an integral part of this community for nearly 120 years. Thanks to you, our community, for your support throughout the years and for making Luminis Health a part of your lifestyle.0
- WellnessGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe excitement of a new year brings the opportunity to reset and prioritize your well-being. While many of us make New Year’s resolutions, it can be tough to stay on track long term, even with plenty of motivation in January. At Luminis Health, our vision is Living Healthier Together, and a big part of that is partnering with our community to support healthy habits year-round. That’s why we’re sharing practical advice to help you keep your resolutions and feel your best throughout 2026 and beyond. Setting small, realistic goals is essential. Here are a few recommendations: You don’t have to be a gym rat We all know that exercise is key to a healthy lifestyle; but too many of us think we have to run a half marathon, spend hours at the gym or lift more than a hundred pounds. The truth is much simpler — every bit of movement helps. Aim for 20 to 30 minutes of exercise or moderate activity each day. Even a short walk, especially after a meal, has been shown to offer major health benefits. Try finding activities you actually enjoy, like dancing, gardening or playing with your kids. The best exercise is the one you’ll keep doing. Plus, regular movement boosts your mood, reduces stress and helps you sleep better — benefits that make it easier to stay active all year long. Eating healthier doesn’t have to be complicated If one of your goals is to lose weight, it’s easy to think the solution is a popular weight loss drug or the latest fad diet. But remember the old adage — “eat your fruits and vegetables”? It’s 100 percent true. If you are hungry, eat. Remember to be mindful of what you’re putting into your body. Try to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, and aim for a variety of colors throughout the week. The more colorful your meal, the more nutrients you’re getting. A good goal is to include at least three colors at each meal. And don’t forget to stay hydrated, sometimes your body can confuse thirst with hunger. Spend less time on your devices You know that old saying—there are never enough hours in the day? It’s no secret that our phones take up a lot of time. According to recent studies, Americans now spend an average of more than five hours a day on their phones. Here are some “smart” ways to cut back in 2026: Create “no phone” zones: Let your family know devices are not allowed at the dining table or at bedtime. Set limits on social media: Use built-in phone settings to track screen time and set daily limits. Replace scrolling with movement: When you feel the urge to check your phone, take a short walk, stretch or chat with a friend instead. Be aware of AI: Artificial intelligence is becoming a bigger part of our daily lives. From schoolwork to shopping and even health advice, it can be a great tool when used wisely. But don’t rely on it too much or let it replace real human connection. Talk with your children about using AI responsibly and help them understand both its benefits and its risks. Try mindfulness Put down your phones, and pick up mindfulness. This simple practice can help reduce stress, boost your mental and physical health, and bring more fulfillment to your daily life. Try these easy activities: Take a mindful walk: Notice the sights, sounds, and smells around you as you move. Practice deep breathing: Inhale slowly through your nose, exhale through your mouth and focus on your breathing for one minute. Do a body scan: Pay attention to how each part of your body feels, from your head to your toes. When you decide to pick your phone up again: Try an app: Mindfulness apps can walk you through deep breathing, short meditations and other simple practices to help you get started. See your primary care provider Haven’t been to the doctor in a while? Now’s the perfect time to book an annual wellness visit. Having a primary care provider helps you prevent future illness, manage existing chronic conditions, and reduces health care costs. It’s easier than ever to book an appointment with Luminis Health. Find a provider at Luminis.Health/PrimaryCare. Best wishes for a healthy 2026 as we continue Living Healthier Together. Authors Dr. Kimberly Carrette is a primary care provider at Luminis Health Primary Care Lanham.0
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