Hea lt h
Sinai Hospital
N ew s
FALL 1994 ISSUE: PSYCHIATRIC AND NEUROLOGICAL SERVICES
HealthNews Briefs
mai Joins HAP
Sinai is pleased to announce that it recently signed a
three-year agreement with Health Alliance Plan
(HAP), the largest HMO in Michigan. More than
460,000 HAP enrollees will now have access to Sinai's
extensive array of healthcare services and programs.
To find a Sinai physician who is a HAP participant,
call (313) 872-8100.
Overview
Psychiatry at Sinai
From crisis intervention and inpatient care to outpatient
therapy, Sinai's psychiatric staff cares for patients'
emotional needs throughout their life span.
The Sinai Connector is a free transportation service
that helps patients move from one Sinai facility to
another. With cold weather coming, patients need not
put off scheduling consultation or services. Have a
friend or relative bring you to the Sinai facility near-
est your home on the Connector route and ride in safe-
ty and comfort to your appointment on the Connector
route. Call Community EMS at (313) 292-1563 for mute
information.
Sinai Goes Smoke-Free
On Oct. 1, Sinai Hospital be-
came a leader in the cam-
paign to reduce or eliminate
smoking by declaring itself a
smoke-free campus. Smoking
is not allowed on the hospital's
main campus or at any Sinai
facility. Sinai has developed
a comprehensive program to
assist patients with smoking
cessation while they are in the hospital and to let them
know that Sinai can help them to remain smoke-free
after they go home. Free classes are also available for
employees and physicians to help them "kick the habit."
It's part of Sinai's commitment to help improve the
health status of its patients, visitors and employees.
Critical Care Transport Service
In the last issue of HealthNews , Sinai announced the
availability of a new service for physicians and patients.
The Critical Care Transport service is a mobile in-
tensive care unit. The service
brings patients from their
homes, physician's office
or another hospital —
within a 30-mile ra-
dius — to Sinai for im-
mediate diagnosis and
treatment. The ser-
a vice, which is licensed
to operate in Wayne
and Oakland counties, is
intended for people who are
critically ill. Ask your doctor
about the Sinai Critical Care Transport Service or call
1-800-AMI-9488.
F
or a couple needing marital counseling,
someone grieving the loss of a loved one or
a seriously depressed individual, Sinai
Hospital may provide the answer. A leader
in medicine for more than 40 years, Sinai's
expertise includes a highly skilled Department of
Psychiatry.
"Our strengths are numerous, particularly our abil-
ity to pinpoint a patient's needs and match care ap-
propriately," says Linda Hotchkiss, M.D., Chairperson
of Sinai's Department of Psychiatry. "We offer a con-
tinuum of care that allows us to treat a wide range of
patients, from people in crisis to those who are chron-
ically and seriously ill. We provide crisis intervention,
follow-up, and outpatient treatment in one of our Day
Hospitals or admission to our newly renovated inpa-
tient unit. In addition, we provide access to many
other specialized services."
Dr. Hotchkiss emphasizes the department's strength
in crisis intervention. Sinai's Walk-In Psychiatric Cri-
sis Clinic provides immediate response and short-term
therapy as well as referrals for people experiencing psy-
chiatric emergencies such as depression, suicidal feel-
ings, stress reactions, mental illness and other similar
crises. The Crisis Clinic is open daily and is located next
to Sinai's Emergency Room on the hospital's main
campus in northwest Detroit. Each month, more than
400 patients are treated in the Clinic, or referred to
another Sinai program where many treatment options
are available.
Day Hospitals, an alternative treatment option, are
often used to assess and stabilize patients, thus avoid-
ing costly inpatient care. Day Hospitals also al-
low stabilized psychiatric patients to benefit from
ongoing care during the day and the comfort of
returning to their own homes each evening. Day
or "Partial" Hospitalization Programs help
patients make a smoother transition from in-
patient care to daily activities. Sinai currently
operates three Partial Hospitalization Programs,
two in Detroit and one in West Bloomfield.
Another unique treatment option available
at Sinai is the Sinai Hospital Hearing-Impaired
Professional Services (SHHIPS). The SHHIPS
Clinic is dedicated to the special needs of hear-
ing-impaired children and adults. Under the di-
rection of Keith Lepard, M.D., and Kathy
Surowiec, R.N., M.S.N., C.S., the SHHIPS Clin-
ic is a recognized leader in psychiatric care for
the hearing-impaired
In all of Sinai's programs, family involve-
ment is an important part of the healing process,
according to Director of Nursing and Clinical
Services Sandi Huppenbauer, R.N., M.S.N., C.S.
"We offer several support groups for patients'
families so they can share their concerns with
others in similar situations," says Ms. Huppen-
bauer. "We have a team approach to patient
treatment and consider family members as valu-
able participants on this team. Team members
include physicians, nurses, social workers, psy-
chologists and activity therapists. In addition,
each inpatient has a nurse case manager and
"Our strengths are numerous, particularly our ability to pinpoint a
a social worker who maintain contact with the
patient's needs and match care appropriately," says Linda Hotchkiss, family throughout hospitalization to assess
M.D., Chairperson of Sinai's Department of Psychiatry.
needs, coordinate care and answer questions."
SPEC IAL ADVERTISEMENT
Sinai Connector Keeps Patients
on the Road to Good Health