SUNY Adirondack has developed a new on-campus health and wellness office to further meet the needs of students.<\/p>\n
As part of that development, the college named Lori Prock as director of health and wellness; Tobey Gifford and Kyle Esposito as wellness coordinators; and Deb Neal as its nurse.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are excited to add to existing health initiatives on campus to ensure we are caring for our students\u2019 well-being in a holistic way,\u201d said Kathryn O\u2019Sick, dean for Student Affairs. \u201cLori, Tobey, Kyle and Debbie each bring years of experience in their respective fields, and are passionate about helping people be their healthiest, happiest selves.\u201d<\/p>\n
The office is possible with funds designated to the college through the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a portion of which SUNY dictates must be designated to support the mental health and wellness of students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Prock was most recently emergency preparedness coordinator for Saratoga County. She previously served as health educator and senior health educator for that county\u2019s Department of Public Health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She started her career as a substitute teacher, then worked for OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). She earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in Biology from The College of Saint Rose and a master\u2019s degree in Health Education from Sage Colleges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe will look at the six pillars of health\u2014physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual and occupational\u2014and how we can address all of them to better meet the needs of students,\u201d Prock said.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span>Gifford has served as an adjunct instructor at SUNY Adirondack for several years. A SUNY Adirondack alumna, she went on to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree in Exercise Science from Skidmore College. She has advanced training and certification in health and wellness, personal training, group exercise, yoga and yoga therapy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She is co-owner and director of Lemon Tree Yoga and Healing Arts Studio in Glens Falls; a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists; a national and world aerobic champion who has been featured on ESPN and Sports Illustrated<\/i>; and is featured in the book \u201cAthlete\u201d by Howard Schatz.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Esposito earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in molecular biology from Skidmore College and a master\u2019s degree in ministry and leadership from Fuller Seminary. While working at Young Life, a Christian youth organization, he took outdoor education classes at SUNY Adirondack. In 2017, he started teaching those classes and working as a completion coach at The Hub, a community resource at the college that provides students with essentials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Neal, a nurse at Glens Falls Hospital, will offer regular hours in SUNY Adirondack\u2019s Residence Hall to further attend to students\u2019 needs. Neal graduated from SUNY Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She was a U.S. Navy Nurse Corps officer for seven years and has worked as a nurse since, in units including medical\/surgery, mother\/baby, labor and delivery, infection control, same-day surgery and primary care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Neal has been a primary care registered nurse at Glens Falls Hospital since 2017.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The addition of a Health and Wellness office enhances other efforts at SUNY Adirondack to help students, faculty and staff achieve health. The college offers an on-campus counseling center; Randle\u2019s Veterans Center; support groups; regular wellness programming including mindful meditation; a fitness center; and The Hub.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In February, SUNY Adirondack joined the JED Campus network, an initiative of The Jed Foundation that helps colleges strengthen mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. In the months since, dozens of SUNY Adirondack faculty and staff members participated in Mental Health First Aid, a National Council for Behavioral Health training.<\/p>\n In March, Hudson Headwaters Health Network\u2019s Mobile Health Unit began making biweekly visits to campus, offering services to students, faculty, staff and their family members. The unit is located outside the Residence Hall the second and fourth Thursday of each month.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n SUNY Adirondack is also in the process of creating wellness spaces around campus, to encourage mindfulness, reflection, socialization, physical activity and healthy living.<\/p>\n \u201cHealth is not just physical and emotional,\u201d Prock said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SUNY Adirondack has developed a new on-campus health and wellness office to further meet the needs of students. As part of that development, the college named Lori Prock as director of health and wellness; Tobey Gifford and Kyle Esposito as wellness coordinators; and Deb Neal as its nurse. \u201cWe are excited to add to existing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n