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JULY 2005

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.#

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