. Medical News The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 3 www.desertcarenetwork.com/ercare Ask any parent or teacher what they feel are the most significant influences on the emotional state of their children and students and you'll probably get various answers. However, most polls and surveys measuring happiness and depression cite social media use as a leading cause of depression, loneliness and isolation. To address this concern, the Coachella Valley High School Health Academy (CVHS-HA) students teamed up with Eisenhower Health Family Medicine Residency in February to produce the Social Media Mental Health Town Hall. Now in its second year, the event attracted over 250 students and community members. Featuring physicians in emergency medicine, psychologists, a psychiatrist, and other health care and behavioral health professionals, topics discussed reminded students that social media is a major contributor to signs of depression in young adults. The event began with a poster exhibition in which students worked with resident physicians at Eisenhower Health to research causes for mental health issues related to social media. Some significant takeaways included: • A 2019 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that teens who spent more than three hours a day on social media were at a significantly higher risk of developing mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. • A 2023 report by the American Psychological Association found that 32% of teen girls said that Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies, especially when comparing themselves to others. • A UK study from the Royal Society for Public Health found that social media use is linked to disrupted sleep, which can lead to increased feelings of anxiety and depression. Nighttime use was especially associated with poor sleep and emotional distress. The presenting physicians, psychologists and psychiatrist each highlighted and echoed the research in actual cases they have experienced. The town hall ended with a panel discussion. A compelling element of conversation was the extensive research on how the pleasure neurotransmitter dopamine affects the brains of young people. They experience a pleasure rush when the feedback is positive and depression when feedback is negative. Research shows that the more time young people spend on social media, the less confident they feel about themselves. From the town hall event, the CVHS HOSA-Future Health Professionals team won Bronze in state competition, advancing to the HOSA national conference in Nashville, Tennessee in June. The Mental Health Town Hall is an annual event with Eisenhower Health that allows students, medical professionals and the community to be educated in topics related to health care, behavioral and public health concerns, providing work-based learning for high school students. Simon Moore is the CVHS health academy coordinator and can be reached at simon.moore@cvusd.us. For more information on One Future Coachella Valley, visit www.onefuturecv.org. On a quiet Saturday morning in May, a bomb went off just steps from where I perform surgery every week. It didn’t happen in some distant city. It happened here, at the intersection of Highway 111 and Las Palmas, right across the street from our surgical center. The target was a fertility clinic. One person was killed; three others were injured. What was once a space for hope and healing became a site of violence. Although our clinic was not the target, we felt the impact—both physically and emotionally. On Sunday morning, I received a call from Ian Mullings, the administrator at the nearby El Mirador Surgery Center, informing me that due to the bombing, Monday’s surgeries needed to be postponed. Out of an abundance of caution, we paused our operations, not because the damage was extensive, but because our patients and staff deserve to walk into a space that feels calm, secure and fully prepared to facilitate healing. As a cataract surgeon, I’m used to precision and preparation. But no amount of planning can shield a medical practice from the emotional toll of something like this. The truth is, we needed time, not just to inspect the facility, but to process the gravity of what had occurred. It’s deeply unsettling to realize how quickly a place dedicated to care can become unsafe. That parking lot, where our patients normally arrive early in the morning, was filled with police tape, news vans and grief. The same building I pass by every week was now a crime scene. It could have been any one of us. And that fact lingers. What has stayed with me the most, isn’t only the tragedy—it’s the response. Colleagues checking in; patients calling to make sure we’re okay. The Coachella Valley is a small, tight-knit community, and when one part of it is shaken, we all feel it. As a surgeon, I spend my days restoring sight. But there are some things you don’t need perfect vision to see clearly: violence has no place in our community. Not against women. Not against health care providers. Not here. And while the headlines will eventually fade, our resolve will not. We returned to surgery the following week, and we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done—taking care of people. But this moment won’t pass unnoticed. It’s a reminder of how fragile life is, and how important it is to keep showing up for each other, even when the cameras leave. Dr. Keith Tokuhara is a board-certified ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon at Desert Vision Center in Rancho Mirage specializing in ethical, patient-first eye care. He can be reached at (760) 340.4700. www.DesertHealthNews.com July/August 2025 Students attended the town hall at Eisenhower Health’s Annenberg Health Sciences theater. Caring Through Crisis: A Local Surgeon’s Reflection on the Palm Springs Bombing By Keith Tokuhara, MD Social Media Mental Health Town Hall By Simon Moore, M.Ed., MHA, EMT www.desertcarenetwork.com/ercare Check in online at DesertCareNetwork.com/ERCare At Desert Care Network • Three Trauma Centers, including the only Level 1 Trauma Center in our Desert • Highest Level NICU for newborns in the Coachella Valley • Only DNV-Accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center • The Comprehensive Cancer Center • Hospitals in Palm Springs, Indio, and Joshua Tree Emergency care, close to home Minutes Matter Check in online at DesertCareNetwork.com/ERCare At Desert Care Network • Three Trauma Centers, including the only Level 1 Trauma Center in our Desert • Highest Level NICU for newborns in the Coachella Valley • Only DNV-Accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center • The Comprehensive Cancer Center • Hospitals in Palm Springs, Indio, and Joshua Tree Emergency care, close to home Minutes Matter
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