Recently, our good friend and colleague Dr. Joanna Marino from Potomac Behavioral Solutions (PBS) in Arlington, VA visited Rogers Memorial Hospital to check out some interest work they are doing with eating disorders, substance abuse and anxiety issues. Dr. Marino is an expert in anxiety and eating disorders and works with clients from around the country.
Fonthill: Tell us a little about Rogers location for those of us who have never heard of them.
Dr. Marino: Roger’s Memorial Hospital is located in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin. It’s located 45 minutes west of the Milwaukee airport in Oconomowoc, WI.
Fonthill: Why were you interested in visiting this treatment program, are there not plenty of options on the East Coast?
Dr. Marino: Roger’s has a strong reputation as being an evidence-based program for anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders. They are consistently ranked as the strongest program for males with eating disorders. Roger’s focus on child, adolescent, and adult PHP, inpatient and residential programs make them an ideal choice for a continuum of care. Roger’s has a strong cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure with response prevention approach. They also use a AA and DBT informed approach.
Fonthill: What is Rogers like in terms of their physical space – How nice was it walking around?
Dr. Marino: Roger’s is located in picturesque Wisconsin lake country. With 50 acres of space, Roger’s is seated between two lakes. Many of the resident rooms offer views of wooded, lake front landscape. The rooms were fairly standard for what would be expected at a behavioral health hospital. Special attention is paid to providing clean and renewed paints, fixtures and flooring.
Fonthill: As we all know, great staff are often very satisfied with their work. Did they seem happy, competent and skilled?
Dr. Marino: Complimenting Roger’s theoretical approach to behavioral health treatment was their focus on training. Each of the behavioral specialists and resident managers are supervised and diligently trained by a licensed psychologists. The language of the treatment approach is consistent throughout the units.
Fonthill: Let’s talk cost. Many of the folks we work with have good incomes but treatment costs can be expensive even for them. How much do services cost and do they accept insurance?
Dr. Marino: It was estimated that 75% of the residents are admitted with insurance coverage. Rogers accepts BCBS, Aetna, Cigna and Wisconsin Medicaid/Medicare. Admission staff with aid residents in securing single case agreements for treatment. Typical non-insurance fees are $35,000 per month.
Fonthill: Ok, now time to talk about what you did not like. What concerns did you have?
Dr. Marino: Wisconsin offers four seasons, but remember the long, cold winters. The campus is large and could feel overwhelming for new residents.
Fonthill: Overall, final impressions? Strengths/weaknesses of using their services?
Dr. Marino: Roger’s offers a theoretically sound program that prides itself on evidence-based treatment of anxiety, OCD, eating disorder, and substance abuse. They also offer a secure unit for children as young as 8yo. They have an excellent continuum of care to provide the least restrictive environment for residents. They also offer yoga, ropes courses, and other experiential treatments as an adjunct to the evidence-based treatment.
Thanks to Dr. Joanna Marino for providing us with some needed insight into this highly regarded program up there in the MidWest.
To learn more, click on the link here for Rogers Memorial Hospital.
