Health & Wellness
The SHWC’s mission is to provide and develop a culture of healthy lifestyles, disease prevention, and education. This is done through comprehensive assessments, interventions, and the availability of a wide variety of resources. As a team, we focus on the whole student in a caring and open-minded environment that is safe and comfortable. We offer a collaborative experience with nurses, a nurse practitioner, a physician partner, and school counselors. This team comes together to solely focus on the needs and health of adolescents.
Our team, with its wide variety of experience in the science and art of nursing, medicine, and counseling provide caring, open-minded, and non-judgmental interventions. We maintain an open-door policy for all of our students needs including medical, emotional, and psychosocial. We recognize the uniqueness of each student and strive to promote healthy living skills, successful learning, and independence.
The SHWC offers a full range of high-quality primary care, treatment, counseling and referral services, and health education programs. It is open 24 hours a day Sunday through Thursday each week. On Fridays and Saturdays, it is open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Key staff members include:
Joellen Paget Gillon (2015)
Director of Student Health and Wellness Services
215.579.6715
jgillon@georgeschool.org
BSN LaSalle University
MSN-CRNP Drexel University
Dr. Mariam Mahmud (2020)
School Physician
215.579.6715
mmahmud@georgeschool.org
BA in Anthropology and Biology, Bryn Mawr College
Doctor of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine
Dr. Mariam Mahmud comes to George School from the Bucks County Center for Integrative Medicine where she practices pediatric primary care with an emphasis on developmental pediatrics, mental healthcare, nutrition/lifestyle, botanicals, and mind-body medicine. In addition to her clinical work Dr. Mahmud is the School Board Director for Central Bucks School District and is on the School Health Committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Mahmud comes to campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Indira Rodrigo (2008)
Student Health and Wellness Center Administrator
215.579.6715
irodrigo@georgeschool.org
BA St. Mary’s College of Maryland
MA University of Maryland at College Park
Caroline Hedde (2019)
Director of Counseling Services
215.579.6720
chedde@georgeschool.org
BA University of Virginia
MEd University of Virginia
Caroline Hedde is a Nationally Certified Counselor who has supported high school students in public and private school settings. She has experience delivering college, career, academic, and mental health counseling with a focus on adolescent anxiety and stress management. She has a holistic approach to wellness and enjoys incorporating deep breathing exercises into her work with students. Caroline has post-graduate training in Motivational Interviewing and is currently pursuing Licensed Professional Counselor certification.
Alejandra Carranza (2022)
School Counselor
215.579.6730
acarranza@georgeschool.org
BA University of Wisconsin-Madison
M.S. Ed. in Counseling and Mental Health Services from the University of Pennsylvania
Alejandra Carranza comes to George School from The School District of Philadelphia, the most recent location in her decade of school and behavioral health counseling experience. As a dedicated and equity-minded professional, Alejandra has championed the needs of students of color, including increasing educational access, creating multicultural campus and community programming, and promoting minority leadership within student, city, and state government. As a mental health professional, Alejandra practices trauma-informed care with students.
Parents/Guardians: Please join the Parent and Guardian Association (PGA) for dinner in the dining hall at 5:30 p.m. before its final meeting of the school year on Monday, April 17. The meeting will be from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the MDA Library Conference Room. Those unable to attend in person may join virtually via Zoom.