CSCC Offers FREE 24/7 Medical and Mental Telehealth Access for Students

As part of Connecticut State Community Colleges’s ongoing efforts to prioritize the health and well-being of the campus community, students now have free and immediate access to medical and mental health support through TimelyMD, the leading telehealth company specializing in higher education. Students can access it at timelycare.com/ctstate.

TimelyMD developed its proprietary TimelyCare technology to offer students a 24/7 extension of campus health and counseling center resources that is as easy and convenient as making a video or phone call. Through the TimelyCare app on their phone or other device, Connecticut State Community Colleges students can now select from a wide-ranging menu of virtual care options from licensed physicians and counselors in all 50 states – at no cost to them and without the hassle of traditional insurance – including: 

• On-demand medical care
• Appointment-based medical care
• On-demand mental health support (TalkNow)
• Appointment-based mental health counseling
• Health coaching

TimelyCare allows students to see the profiles, faces and specialty care details of a diverse range of licensed physicians and counselors available to them. They can choose to meet with a specific provider or select the first available. Typical consultations begin within 5-10 minutes – less than the amount of time it takes to walk across campus.

Demand for teletherapy visits skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be high even as everyday activities resume. Mental health remains the top concern of college and university presidents, and more than 60 percent of students who have sought mental health support from TimelyMD said they would have done nothing if the service were not available to them.

“Similar to food delivery apps or contactless payment, students might not have tried telehealth before the pandemic, and now they can’t imagine life without its ease of use, convenience and immediacy,” said Luke Hejl, TimelyMD CEO and co-founder. “Studies have shown that one of the best ways to keep students engaged, enrolled and on track to graduation is to keep them physically and mentally healthy. Through TimelyCare, we are proud to deliver best-in-class virtual care to help Connecticut State Community Colleges students thrive.”

READ MORE

Rhonda Spaziani honored with Janice Fletcher Memorial Award by the Jordan Porco Foundation

The Jordan Porco Foundation will honor Rhonda Spaziani, instructor and former Director of Student Programs at Three Rivers Community College, with the Janice Fletcher Memorial Award. This award was created to recognize a Fresh Check Day coordinator who embodies the same spirit and commitment of Janice Fletcher, the former Director of Counseling at Lasell College, who passed away last July. Spaziani will receive this award at the eighth annual Jordan’s Journey Gala on March 23, 2019 at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. Learn more about this event and purchase tickets at jordanporcofoundation.org/gala.

Upon hearing about the award, Rhonda Spaziani said, “I feel that Janice and I are truly kindred spirits in our love of Fresh Check Day and what the Jordan Porco Foundation does for all students. Thank you in every way. I am touched beyond words. My heartfelt thanks to you and Janice’s family. I will keep fighting the good fight in honor of her memory, to keep our students safe and healthy on campus, and in life.”

According to the Jordan Porco Foundation, Spaziani is a deserving recipient of this award. She has worked in the CSCU system at Three Rivers Community College for over 20 years in admissions, advising, counseling, student life, and instruction. Her favorite event of the year is Fresh Check Day, a program of the Jordan Porco Foundation. Fresh Check Day is mental health promotion and suicide prevention event that includes expo booths, peer-to-peer messaging, multiple campus departments and groups, free food, and giveaways. It aims to create an approachable atmosphere that encourages students to engage in dialogue about mental health and build bridges between students and mental health resources available on campus, in the community, and nationally. Three Rivers hosted their first Fresh Check Day in 2014, when only ten schools participated in the event, and has hosted it for five consecutive years, with their sixth Fresh Check Day scheduled for September 25, 2019. The impact that Spaziani has made at the College is one of inclusion, community, support, and the value of mental health.

In addition to introducing Fresh Check Day to Three Rivers as an annual event, she directed the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant, which led Three Rivers to be the first community college in the nation to receive the JED Campus Seal. Spaziani also chairs the collaborative TRCC Mental Health & Wellness & Suicide Prevention Advisory Board and has co-facilitated several Mental Health Awareness Professional Days on campus. She is a strong advocate for increasing campus holistic wellness initiatives and works tirelessly to decrease the stigma of seeking help.

Spaziani often takes time out of her busy schedule to talk with students in need, offering them life advice and general support. One student shared, “I can say without a doubt that Rhonda (fondly titled the ‘Great Spaziani’) is my hero. [She] has impacted my life on a thousand different days in a million different ways.”

Spaziani continues to do amazing things for mental health and suicide prevention on campus, but her ultimate impact can be seen in the students and those she has touched with her spirit and resiliency, making her a fitting and deserving recipient of the Janice Fletcher Memorial Award. She will receive this award at the eighth annual Jordan’s Journey Gala on March 23, 2019 at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. Learn more about this event and purchase tickets at jordanporcofoundation.org/gala.

READ MORE