BryLin Behavioral Health System and DENT Neurologic Institute announced they have coordinated a Memorandum of Understanding to share referrals for specialty mental-health services. The memorandum of understanding is designed to both maximize resources and address growing demand and access to services.
Dent, an independent nonprofit specializing in neurological care, last fall expanded its Ketamine Clinic, which provides intravenous treatments for severe depression, pain and chronic migraine. The institute also has offered outpatient electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation, both of which stimulate areas of the brain.
But BryLin also offers ECT and had a more established clinic in place. Both realized there were opportunities for referrals back and forth and better care coordination for patients who require more specialized treatments, said Joseph Fritz, Dent CEO.
“We are able to do ECT in an outpatient setting, but we felt as though this was a service that BryLin has been offering for a long time in a facility setting and was able to manage those patients a little better,” he said. “The general concept is everybody doesn’t have to do everything in the community, so let’s work together.”
Anthony Szarzanowicz, BryLin’s vice president of patient-care services, agreed saying, “Instead of having two competing organizations going after a small population of clients who need the services, we decided to open up a dialogue to have a collaboration."
BryLin Behavioral Health System, with its two comprehensive treatment locations, is recognized as an industry leader in behavioral health care throughout Upstate New York. BryLin offers inpatient mental health care downtown at its private hospital on Delaware Avenue for children, adolescents, and adults in crisis.
The Hospital also houses an inpatient and ambulatory Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) program. ECT is considered by experts to be the most rapid-acting and effective treatment for major depression and other mental illnesses. In fact, remission is reported to range from 70-90% with ECT (much more effective than any medication we have at present, which typically have remission rates around 20-30%).
*[Sarah Hollingsworth Lisanby, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director, Brain Stimulation and Neurophysiology Center, Duke University School of Medicine.]
In this ever-changing field of behavioral health, BryLin continues to monitor the needs of the community with an eye on future expansion of services and collaboration.
“Our dedicated staff, through the compassionate care they provide to our patients, are the foundation to BryLin’s success as we strive to be the premier mental health provider in the region”, says Eric D. Pleskow, BryLin President & CEO and founder’s son. “We have had a long-term collegial relationship with the DENT Neurologic Institute through our collaboration. Our energies are focused on having patient-centered care that brings respect and dignity to the patients and families we care for who are affected by mental health issues.”
BryLin’s Behavioral Health Center, in Williamsville, offers outpatient mental health care and outpatient substance use disorder treatment for all ages using evidence-based practices and other interventions.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, BryLin’s Chief Medical Officer, states, “This partnership will ultimately benefit our patients in Western New York by improving access to psychiatric care, bringing novel and effective treatments, and providing new hope.”
