Why should I contact the helpline or website?

We encourage you to contact our dedicated helpline on 888-961-9273 or website if you wish to:

  • Access resources, including counseling or other support services
  • Share information or concerns about Tyndall

Who is Praesidium?

USC has partnered with Praesidium, which has extensive experience providing confidential and sensitive support services. Praesidium is here to facilitate support and counseling services and receive your report regarding experiences with or concerns regarding Dr. George Tyndall.

I’m also a current employee. What resources are available to me?

The Center for Work and Family Life (CWFL) offers confidential, short-term counseling and consultation to USC faculty, staff, and their dependent family members. The CWFL’s licensed mental health professionals are experienced in helping individuals, couples and families address a wide range of personal and work-related difficulties.

I’m a current student. What resources are available to me?

The Student Counseling Services at the Engemann Student Health Center provides support for students in distress in the form of individual therapy, crisis support, psychiatric services as well as consultation to those who are interested in reaching out to a student in distress.

The Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services (RSVP) at the Engemann Student Health Center provides immediate therapy services for situations related to gender and power-based harm (e.g., sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking). In case of an emergency or if you need immediate assistance, please call 213-740-4900 (after hours, press zero “0” to speak to an on-call counselor). RSVP’s on-call counselors aid in discussing medical options, reporting options and provide crisis support and advocacy.

What will happen if I share information or concerns about Tyndall?

We pledge to handle your outreach with compassion and sensitivity. On both our helpline and website you can choose to share information or concerns anonymously or to provide your identity. We have trained staff to carefully review all reports and determine the appropriate next steps.

If you have provided contact details, our team may follow up with you to continue the conversation and request your permission to share information with the Los Angeles Police Department. When you contact the helpline or access the online form, the options will be explained and it will be up to you how you would like to proceed.

We may also use information that you share with us to ensure appropriate accountability and to improve our processes so that we provide the highest standard of care to our patients.

How do I get a copy of my medical records? 

We are doing everything possible to provide medical records upon request and are waiving associated fees. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of your medical records, please contact the student health center health information management on (213) 740-0206 or fax (213) 740-4961.

How long do you retain medical records?

Our policy is to retain medical records for a minimum of 10 years. Even if you received care before 2008, we may have a record of your visit dates or other information. Please contact us and we will let you know what is available.

Do I need to have a check-up to make sure that I’m ok? 

If you have any concerns, please contact the student health center on (213) 740-9355 or go online to schedule an appointment. We will do everything we can to accommodate you or provide recommendations for alternative providers.

What efforts has the university made to reach out to patients of Tyndall’s?

In 2016, USC’s Office of Equity and Diversity reached out to many individuals, including student patients, and attempted to identify any students who may have had concerns. This process included reviewing the responses of a survey sent to 2,500 student patients, to learn if there were any other issues or complaints identified. Those efforts, which included additional follow-up calls to survey respondents, did not reveal any complaints about Tyndall’s practice.

We are taking great care to respond individually to everyone who contacts our helpline or website, and to make sure that everyone is receiving our full support, as well as our compassion and understanding. Every response – whether identified or anonymous – is extremely important to us, and is being carefully addressed to determine the appropriate referral or follow up.

Are there any resources available to help international students who are unfamiliar with the U.S. healthcare system?

Information is available on our website to help our international students navigate student health services, and understand any associated fees and insurance.

Health services staff are also available to assist you and to answer any questions. Please contact them on (213) 740-9355 or studenthealth@usc.edu.

What is the university doing to ensure the student health center provides the highest standard of care?

Unrelated to the Tyndall investigation, in early 2016, USC appointed a task force of faculty and staff to review student health with the goal of strengthening oversight and enhancing professionalism and practice standards of student health care, which at the time was under the division of student affairs. As a result of that review, Dr. Sarah Van Orman, a nationally respected leader in student health, was recruited as the center’s new chief health director. The center’s leadership, staffing, oversight, and peer review have been strengthened and integrated with our academic medical center, with additional oversight from our CEO of USC Health, Tom Jackiewicz, as well as our vice president for student affairs, Ainsley Carry.

We want to reassure you that our student health centers, under the leadership of Dr. Van Orman and the entire health system team, are committed to providing every student with the most respectful experience and highest quality care possible. We will provide Dr. Van Orman with the full resources necessary to support her efforts. In addition, as part of the integration with the academic medical center, over the past year the health center staff has received extensive training on reporting. This training will be ongoing with intensive sessions scheduled this summer and fall to ensure that any concerning behavior is quickly reported and addressed. Dr. Van Orman will also strengthen communications to students about their patient rights and responsibilities.

Who is currently providing gynecology care at the student health center?

Gynecology care at the student health center is currently provided by board certified family medicine and internal medicine physicians and physician assistants. Two new gynecologists are being recruited for the 2019 academic year.

If I have concerns about my current treatment at the student health center, who can I contact? What resources are available to me?

If you are a current or former patient of the student center and have any questions or concerns about you care, you can either visit the health center and speak confidentially with a member of health services staff, or contact us on (213) 740-9355 or at studenthealth@usc.edu, or submit feedback through our website.

We also encourage any students who wish to receive support in respect of any issue to contact our student counseling services at (213) 740-7711 at our University Park Campus, or (323) 442-5631 at our Health Sciences Campus.