 |
Sigurd
H. Ackerman, MD |
Silver Hill Goes For
The Gold in Offering Psychiatric Care
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Tucked away, hidden actually, on 45 glorious acres in the
New Canaan, Connecticut countryside, though well known in the
medical community, 74-year-old Silver Hill Hospital, a comprehensive
diagnostic and treatment facility for psychiatric and addictive
disorders, has been undergoing slow but focused change under
the thoughtful direction of Sigurd H. Ackerman, MD, who joined Silver Hill two years ago
as President and Medical Director. Already boasting transitional-living
houses, a dual-disorder program that addresses patients suffering
from substance abuse and psychiatric problems, and an adolescent
division where patients have various combinations of psychiatric
disorders, eating disorders and substance abuse, Silver Hill
has embarked on an initiative to make its presence and reputation
better known to the surrounding community. Dr. Ackerman, an
articulate and highly experienced administrator, researcher
and psychiatrist, whose last position before joining Silver
Hill was as CEO and President of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt
Hospital Center in Manhattan, is excited by the challenges
and opportunities at Silver Hill, not to mention the beauty
of the place.
In a relatively brief
period of time, Dr. Ackerman has managed to put his mark
on this venerable institution, hiring six new doctors, including
himself (of 11) and top-level administrative personnel, instituting
new programs, and reviewing strategic objectives, including
a stronger tie between the 52-bed transitional, residential
facility and the 61-bed unit for acute care. Most psychiatric
hospitals, he points out, can only treat patients for a few
days in acute care units, then release them to their doctors
or outpatient facilities. In integrating short term acute
care with transitional living, which may extend from several
weeks to three months or more, Silver Hill made front and
center comprehensive treatment and became one of only a half
dozen such facilities in the country. The residential program
is voluntary and so far only those 18 or over qualify. Dr.
Ackerman says he’s thinking about accommodating adolescents,
of particular concern to him since so many youngsters, particularly
girls, succumb to drugs, alcohol and eating disorders. Before
joining St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Dr. Ackerman held, among
other titles, that of Associate Director for Clinical Affairs
and Research at the Eating Disorders Institute of New York
Hospital, Cornell University Medical Center, Westchester Division.
Of course, Dr. Ackerman
knows that the most effective comprehensive care includes
prevention, such as wellness programs and post-treatment
resources. But for the moment his attention is concentrated
on the transitional residence and on developing comprehensive
treatment tracks for specific disorders. Among these is the
track for dual disorders, “by far the most common
presentation of illness in any psychiatric hospital.” This
means that approximately 60-70 percent of patients who enter
the hospital with a psychiatric illness have histories of substance
abuse and those with serious substance abuse disorders also
have histories of psychiatric disturbance. Where to begin? “Where
the wheel squeaks the loudest.” With drug abuse, for
instance, that would mean moving the patient into detox immediately.
How successful are
the programs at Silver Hill? The question is impossible to
answer because it turns on a complexity of issues, but a
new feature at Silver Hill seems to be worth noting: an “alumni association” recently
brought together 150 people to talk about how much Silver
Hill had helped them in just one month.
Working with relatives
is also important, and Silver Hill has a well-established
Family Forum series where doctors and counselors address
current issues. The Family Forum is part of a larger outreach
effort. Silver Hill primarily serves communities from Fairfield
County, Westchester and Manhattan. Years ago, Dr. Ackerman
points out, mental hospitals were located in places like
the hills of New Canaan because of fear and embarrassment.
Out of sight meant out of mind. Today, different attitudes
prevail but up to a point. Dr. Ackerman believes it is important
for Silver Hill to reach out to its neighbors and for the neighbors
to feel easy about reaching out to Silver Hill. To this end,
he has been working with the Bank of New Canaan on making joint
presentations to the business and civic community, talking
about mood and eating disorders, chemical dependency and Silver
Hill’s unique treatment programs. They’ve even
started a theatre night, though one wonders if they’d
recommend Hamlet.#
