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t m c » p u l s e | d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5 12 Advancing treatment. Transforming lives. Affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine Learn more at: MenningerClinic.com >Patient Care >Outpatient Services Ranked as a best hospital in psychiatry 26 consecutive years New Outpatient Services Taking Patients of All Ages Our outpatient treatment team offers a variety of mental health treatment options for you and your family. One-stop comprehensive personalized assessments for ages 6 and older with team of physician-led experts Individual, family and couples therapy Medication consultation and management Consultations for ADHD, suitable education or vocational setting, autism spectrum disorders and more Scheduling is simple. Call Apryl today at 713-275-5779. Daytime, evening and Saturday appointments are available for your convenience. MenningerClinic_October2015.indd 1 9/29/2015 10:18:30 AM Q | The Menninger program is very unique and has changed over time. How would you define Menninger? A | I would say the essence, part of the secret sauce, is the unbelievable commitment on the part of the entire team here at Menninger. I don't mean just the nurse, just the therapist and just the doctor, but everyone, including the housekeeping staff, facilities, security, finance, etc. There is an incredible com- mitment to patients' welfare and their healing. The idea of restoring hope is not just lip service. It's real. I take no credit for that. That culture was here when I got here. I think it's been here for decades. These patients have some of the most difficult illnesses in all of gen- eral medicine, not just psychiatry. The mortality rates are higher than cancer or heart disease for these people. It's not just suicide; it's also death from certain general medical illnesses that's elevated in this population. In addition, there's a long history and a culture of studying and learning from what we do. This notion of learning has been my theme in life. As long as I'm learning, I'm happy. When that curve levels off, I get restless. We've created a culture of learning and improving here at Menninger. We're now formally studying patients not just through the course of hospitalization, but for up to a year after they've left. This is unique to Menninger for a couple of reasons. One, it takes time to create relationships with patients and families, such that they'd be willing to stay in touch with you and let you know how it's going, good or bad, post-treatment. Another reason is we're the only organization in the world that I know of that is doing these types of outcomes studies because we have the philanthropic resources needed to support such intense research. In fact, the bulk of Menninger's research is supported through Houston's generous philanthropic-minded community. Q | What excites you most about what happens here every day? A | It's the care we provide. The tagline: 'Advancing treatment and transforming lives.' That isn't just talk. It really is what goes on here. It's incredible. Q | What would be the typical team you'd assign to a patient? A | Menninger patients are fortunate to receive care from some of the best men- tal health professionals in the world, including many who are also affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. The expertise level here is very high. The clinical team is often comprised of multiple physicians—many of whom are double- and triple-boarded. Then you have nursing, social work, psychology and other specialties as needed. The exact mix depends on the nature of the patient's issues. If those are heavy on the medical side, then the team will include more psychiatry and nursing expertise. Menninger also offers reha- bilitation services through our outpa- tient services division and our adult clubhouse, The Gathering Place. Q | How far have we come with social opinion toward mental illness? A | There's no question, it's better. It's not where it needs to be because shame still gets in the way. Shame has a double meaning in the area of mental health. There's stigma, and shame related to stigma, but there's also shame related to, 'My life's a mess. I'm the son that just can't get it together.' 'I'm the person that's had four affairs.' 'I'm the CEO that's falling apart.' There's tremendous shame around that. In our work, uncon- ditional acceptance has been shown to be a core of the effectiveness of therapy, whatever kind of therapy is being done. We give it all kinds of labels, but it turns out that there are commonalities to being successful and that's one of them—this unconditional acceptance. Q | Anything you would like to add? A | I'm so happy to be at Menninger and to be a part of the Texas Medical Center. My wife, Kathy, and I are so happy to be in this city. We have been welcomed with open arms and every- thing I learn about Texas just makes me smile. It's so different than I imagined and I think Houston is unique within Texas. It's an open, accepting place. I've always valued diversity, and as best I can tell about Houston, if you're just willing to roll up your sleeves and contribute in some way, you're in. For the full interview, visit TMCNews.org