Rogers Memorial Hospital will be opening a mental health facility today in Madison, becoming the city’s only daytime hospitalization program for adults with eating disorders and mental health issues.
Rogers, which has facilities in Oconomowoc and Milwaukee, offers partial hospitalization for young adults who may not find it necessary to be hospitalized overnight, according to a statement from the hospital.
Some psychiatric disorders in adults in treatment for depression and anxiety may not be severe enough for the patient’s health insurance to cover the cost of full patient status, said Dr. Jerry Halverson, medical director for adult services at Rogers and a former University of Wisconsin assistant professor of psychiatry.
According to the statement, this level of care has not been available in Madison since 2001 when Meriter Hospital offered partial care but was forced to close for a variety of reasons. Halverson said Rogers goal is to add needed services that do not exist right now in Madison.
“To get into a hospital these days, you basically have to be looking to kill yourself,” Halverson said. “And patients that don’t want that are looking for partial care that works for them.”
Halverson said the facility offers two treatment tracks focused on depression, anxiety and eating disorders that work with a patient from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every weekday.
He added treatment is provided to patients through nursing groups comprised of social workers, therapists and psychologists that work with patients intensively. Regular counseling is done daily to keep patients on track for recovery.
Halverson said college age is a very common time for psychiatric disorders to assert themselves and become worse so eating disorders and anxiety can be common in student populations.
Rogers facilities near the UW-Milwaukee campus have brought in students for its partial hospitalization program from the beginning.
“To a student’s perspective, the program is a summer mini course with a few weeks of 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. classes to help prevent eating disorders and depression,” Halverson said.
The facility will be located in the University Research Park at 406 Science Drive in the first floor, on Madison’s west side, the statement said.
