“Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth.”  Shirley Chisolm

On April 20 ChesPenn’s Board of Directors announce the appointment of Susan Harris McGovern, ChesPenn’s CEO, to the position of President and CEO.  A native of Chester, PA, Sue is a dedicated public servant who joined ChesPenn Health Services in 1983 as an Expanded Function Dental Assistant. Susan became Office Manager at our Center for Family Health at Eastside in 1998 while earning her BA and MS degrees from Eastern Pennsylvania  University and raising three daughters.

In 2009 Susan was appointed Director of Operations, extending her management to all of ChesPenn’s clinical sites. She was instrumental in managing the operations associated with the opening and closing locations in Chester, Upper Darby, and Coatesville, expanding ChesPenn’ s community health services in both Delaware and Chester counites.  Her demonstrated leadership led to her appointment as ChesPenn’ s first Chief Operating Officer in 2020.

Inspired by her mother, whose career began as a Social Worker in psychiatric services at Sacred Heart Hospital and who later retired as a Case Manager from Delaware County’s Office of the Aging, Sue credits her mother for instilling her passion to better the healthcare facilities and services offered in communities that face socio-economic challenges. Sue’s contributions to her community outside of work include her membership in the National Congress of Black Women Delco Chapter in Chester, PA where she held the title of Treasurer from 2008 – 2017 and volunteer work at events that uplift the lives of women of color. Sue’s life’s work at ChesPenn and community involvement has uniquely prepared her to step in her newest role of President and CEO of ChesPenn.

Sue shared her thoughts on her career at ChesPenn and vision for our future.  “Whenever I’ve been asked about why I never left ChesPenn or currently what are my vision or goals for ChesPenn, I’m grateful to credit having worked for many years alongside Dr. Rekha Yagnik, and Dr. Letitia O’Kicki.  These phenomenal women were instrumental in sparking my interest overcoming the imbalances of services regardless of socio-economic status. We’ve grown from a trailer to multiple locations .  We serve 15,000 patients across Delaware & Chester Counties.  This is a testament to their legacy of service, compassion, listening and leadership that I look forward to continuing. We know the community, we are the community, and many of us have raised our children and grandchildren here. I honor my mother Catherine Harris for modeling what it means to be a mother, a woman of Faith, and active in the community you live in.”

It’s almost Memorial Day.  The weather is warming and the days are lengthening.  We’re all more than ready to head out to the park, the garden, the beach.  But before we run out and play we need to remember to be safe in the sun:

• Cover it up – Clothing, hats, and sunglasses provide great protection
  against UV rays and you don’t have to reapply like sunscreen.
• Play in the shade – Try to find ways to stick to the shade when possible but remember UV rays are still going to get through.
• Know your sunscreen – SPF stands for skin protection factor. if you use an SPF 15
  product exactly as directed it would take you 15 times longer to burn than if you weren’t wearing sunscreen. Be sure to read labels and follow directions.
• Shield the wee ones – Infants up to six months should be kept out of the sun rather than covered with sunscreen. Clothing should cover babies’ torso, arms, and legs, and hats, sunglasses and stroller covers can provide additional protection.  After 6 months you can begin adding sunscreen.  And be sure to speak to caregivers about safety in the sun.
• Look out for windows – Remember that upholstered chair in front of the window that faded over the years? UVA windows can penetrate glass so don’t forget sunscreen and coverups even in the car or in window seats on flights.
• Say no to tanning beds – Just say no. You know they’re not healthy.
• Early detection is key – Skin cancer is the cancer you can SEE. Yet it often goes undetected in the early stages. It’s important that you get to know your skin, check yourself in the mirror and keep these three simple words in mind: NEW, CHANGING or UNUSUAL. It could save your life.

Now get out there and enjoy the great outdoors this summer – safely!

May is Mental Health Awareness month and this year’s theme is “Together for Mental Health.”  We want to eliminate the stigma people too often feel about acknowledging their mental health needs and asking for help.  Here are some things each of us can do:

1. Learn about mental health and share with others. Millions of Americans struggle with mental health challenges and learning the facts about mental illness can help dispel myths and misperceptions and minimize stigma.
2. See the person not the illness. It’s so easy to say “She’s bipolar,” or “He’s autistic.”  1 in 5 Americans has a mental health condition.  Each is a whole person, with a unique story.  Each is so much more than their mental health challenge.  Try to use person-centered language – a person with bipolar disorder, for example – rather than labeling people.  Treating one another with kindness and respect and checking in with friends and loved ones who may be struggling can help them know they are valued and that it’s ok to say they need help.
3. Check your language. We’ve all done it – “He’s so OCD,” “She looks anorexic,” – pick your comment.  But these words have power and perpetuate the stigma of conditions that cause real suffering.  Casual comments and jokes about mental health conditions can be hurtful and you may not know that the person hearing you is struggling.

This is one reason ChesPenn has embedded behavioral health services in our primary care sites.  It’s much easier for patients to receive care when their physician can introduce them directly to the Behavioral Health Consultant.  They can get help on the spot and don’t have to make a separate appointment that could be labeled as seeing a “shrink.”  The BHC model has proven very successful in improving patients’ access to care and mental health.  Paul Renn, ChesPenn’s Behavioral Health Manager, observed that “The BHC is more than a therapist.   They provide solution-focused brief therapies and can also provide a warm handoff to longer term therapists when needed.”

Here are some resources to learn more or get help:

Learn more about mental health | nami.org/About-Mental-Illness

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  800-273-TALK (8255) to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7. Or www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Crisis text line:  Text HOME to 741741 or www.crisistextline.org

Emotional support for youth:  Call (310) 855-HOPE or (800) TLC-TEEN (nationwide toll-free) from 3pm-7pm EST or Text TEEN to 839863 between 3pm-6pm EST