Rogers Memorial Hospital is proud to continue its tradition of commemorating Mental Health Month. For over 50 years, the nationwide observance of this month has reached millions of Americans with important messages about mental health.
Surgeons are showing slightly higher instances of alcohol-use disorders (15%) compared to the general population (8-12%), according to a recent study published in the Archives of Surgery. Those who responded reported drinking behaviors that could be categorized as full-fledged abuse or dependence. The study’s lead author, Dr. Michael Oreskovich, said that he hopes that by showing the high percentage of surgeons who have a problem will help destigmatize the illness and result in more physicians coming forward in future polls.
Michael M. Miller, MD, FASAM, FAPA, medical director of the Herrington Recovery Center, gave his impressions of the study and shared some thoughts about how to best address the problem of substance-use disorders with physicians.
In August 2011, the experiential therapy staff welcomed patients to the new facility and its many offerings. In April 2012, the doors opened to our new inpatient building, delivering an unparalleled treatment option for patients and their families.
Well before the ground broke in February 2011, the plans for the new inpatient facility at Rogers were being developed to deliver patient-centered care in a new and carefully designed environment. Accessibility, privacy and patient safety were woven into every feature and furnishing chosen for the new facility. Feedback from countless patients, families and staff were considered as the new facility began to materialize, first on paper, then in brick and mortar.
Some of the most powerful experiences our patients have during their treatment stay are in our art studios, the fitness rooms or on our ropes course.
Experiential therapies are a hallmark of Rogers Memorial Hospital’s residential and inpatient programs. Our patients not only work with master’s prepared clinicians and board-certified physicians, they also work with highly trained experiential therapists who facilitate treatment not just through talk, but also through non-verbal means of expression.
Tina Szada, ATR-BC, an art therapist at Rogers’ residential Eating Disorder Center in Oconomowoc, recently participated in a mannequin art competition that illustrates the power of a non-verbal treatment experience.
At 15 years old, Erika* thought she had found a great way to lose weight over the summer and stay healthy. At first, she received compliments on how she looked and how active she had become. But eventually, her friends knew something wasn’t right.
“They noticed that I was throwing away my lunch. They noticed that I was distracted, isolated, that I walked around during lunch,” said Erika. Her friends tried to drop hints that the way she had been eating and been taking care of herself was, in fact, an eating disorder.
Representatives from Rogers Memorial Hospital, its boards of directors, medical leadership and local officials gathered on March 14 officially open the doors to Rogers’ new inpatient facility and experiential therapy center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the new gymnasium. The facilities were built as a result of input from patients and Roger’s dedication to delivering the highest quality of patient-centered care.
The ceremony marked the completion of the first two phases of a patient-centered construction project that started in February 2010 and will be completed later in 2012 with the grand opening of the residential facility for children and adolescents.
Holiday break is supposed to be just that – a chance for kids to get break from homework and tests. Children are expected to return to school, rejuvenated, ready to learn more. But for some kids, this simply isn’t the case.
For children affected by mental illness, these transitions can be even more difficult. For children with ADHD, it becomes an issue of having to concentrate even harder in order to keep up with new material. For the child with social anxiety, the idea of returning to school can create resistance. For many other children, holiday breaks translate into relief from bullying or social situations where friendships are difficult or nonexistent. Returning to this environment is not something these children look forward to.
The mother of a former patient who came to the Child Center recently shared that she had experienced a vivid dream about herself and her daughter seeking a safe path home in the middle of a terrible storm. She believes the dream symbolized the struggle their family went through to find help for her daughter. Today, the mother says, her daughter is stronger, their path is safer and she is confident that brighter days lie ahead.
Former patient featured as a “Woman of Substance” Denise Folcik, came to Rogers Memorial Hospital for treatment for anorexia, bulimia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Denise Folcik is a person who immediately comes across as confident, happy and lighthearted. She is an outspoken advocate for eating disorder treatment, speaking to many community groups and the Wisconsin State Legislature. Recently, Denise was profiled in “Women of Substance,” (link is external) a feature of Eating Disorder Hope’s website.
Nearly seven years ago, Denise came to Rogers Memorial Hospital for treatment for anorexia, bulimia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Like many of the patients who come to Rogers, she is amazed at the differences in her life before treatment and today. She smiles and says, “I tell people that it says “Rogers” on my birth certificate, because that’s where my life began.”
Patients at Rogers Memorial Hospital are already enjoying a brand-new experiential therapy center. The center was opened in the fall of 2011, and features a gymnasium, weight room, art studios and recreation and movement rooms designed to help Rogers’ experiential therapists work with patients in a comfortable and safe environment. In the weight room and gymnasium, for example, Dwight Steffes, MSRT, a long time experiential therapist at Rogers, helps patients learn how to exercise in a body-positive and healthy way.
