Tom Hildebrandt, PsyD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Director of Mount Sinai’s Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders.
In November, Mount Sinai’s Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders launched its new Intensive Program in an integrated clinical and research space at 53 East 96th Street. What began in 2002 as the Division of Eating and Weight Disorders has since grown into a leading multidisciplinary center that provides innovative, evidence-based treatment to patients suffering from a range of feeding, eating, and weight disorders. In 2019, the Center treated more than 300 patients, making it the largest non-residential specialist clinic in New York City.
Despite the large population base in New York, expert care for eating and weight disorders is scarce. The majority of treatment centers offer programs that are cost-prohibitive for many patients, and offer little to no insurance coverage. Mount Sinai’s Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders, led since 2010 by Tom Hildebrandt, PsyD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, has implemented a number of initiatives that aim to remove that barrier. Since 2011, the Center’s training program has provided low or no-cost care to patients through advanced psychology externs and through participation in research studies. By 2019, the Center had treated about 2,500 patients, with more than two-thirds classified as low or no-cost care. “Community impact is central to our program,” said Dr. Hildebrandt. “We continue to learn from the science, and our patients, to make sure that we’re providing the best care possible.”
Continuing the Center’s mission to expand its community impact, the Intensive Program will provide care for patients of any socioeconomic status, with the availability of insurance-based programs and a supported transition from the intensive setting to regular outpatient and maintenance visits. Unlike other programs in New York, the Center provides treatment that combines advanced medical and psychiatric expertise, and includes a fully integrated research program. Led by Eve Freidl, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Jeneane Solz, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, the Intensive Program focuses on family-based therapies that are tailored to each patient’s needs. Together, families learn how to manage the recovery process and cope with the complexities of eating and weight disorders. The program saw its first intake of patients this month and is expected to be at capacity in early 2020. “We’re excited that the Intensive Program will fill what we currently see as a gap in the treatment of eating and weight disorders,” said Dr. Solz. “Our aim is to ensure that our patients have the family and clinical support they need to achieve long term recovery.”