De Anza College Health Services has a new coordinator. Kathy Kesten, a registered nurse, took office in August. Kesten is a certified family nurse practitioner who got her MS in nursing at UCSF in 1986. Since then, she ran other centers such as the Andrew Hill High School Health Center for seven years before coming to De Anza.

Kesten says that she has “always loved to work with young people.”

One of her biggest goals at De Anza College is to have the family planning clinic running again and to expand its services.

She hopes to include services for men, people with sexually transmitted diseases, and provide a broader range of help in relation to birth control issues.

“For a fee, we could offer birth control pills, emergency contraception and treat sexually transmitted diseases, among other services,” she said.

As of now, Kesten and the Health Services Department want to assess students’ needs, inform and educate them on health issues, and help students achieve and maintain physical and mental well-being.

As for the cold season, Kesten says “Viral colds are the ones most likely to get you, and there is not much you can do about them. They take about seven to ten days to get over with. Get extra rest, drink lots of liquids and maybe even get a flu shot.”

The Health Services is located on the lower level of the Hinson Campus Center. Kesten says students should stop by if they have any general or personal questions regarding their health.