Stony Brook University Hospital held a dedication ceremony and open house for its expanded Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) on Thursday, November 17.
An estimated crowd of 100 people attended the event, held in the main lobby of Stony Brook University Hospital. Lloyd Sederer, Medical Director of the New York State Office of Mental Health, congratulated the hospital on its progressive and visionary stance in building the new CPEP facility, which opens in December. Other guest speakers included Steve Levy, Suffolk County Executive; Arthur Flescher, Director of the Suffolk County Division of Community Mental Hygiene Services; and John M. Kennedy Jr., Suffolk County Legislator.
Kenneth Kaushansky, Senior Vice President, Health Sciences, and Dean, School of Medicine, said the CPEP positions the hospital to deliver outstanding care to patients, train the next generation of mental healthcare professionals, and perform groundbreaking research related to psychiatric and behavioral health, as part of Stony Brook’s tripartite mission as an academic medical center.
“This substantial addition is in direct response to the need for increased emergency psychiatric services in Suffolk County,” said Mark Sedler, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Psychiatrist-in-Chief of Stony Brook University Hospital, and Director of the CPEP. “Serving the community in this way is core to our mission as an academic medical center and tertiary care hospital.”
Located adjacent to Stony Brook University Hospital’s Emergency Department, the expanded CPEP offers more than three times the space of the current facility, with a dedicated waiting area for walk-ins and family members, separate treatment areas for children and adults, and a new “fast track” treatment area.
Suffolk County’s only State-designated CPEP, the new facility contains three double rooms and four single rooms to house patients during extended periods of observation, for up to 72 hours. It includes two patient interview rooms and two family rooms, plus a separate entrance for police-escorted patients, with a police waiting area. Children will be seen in a separate treatment space with its own entrance.
Founded in 1989 the CPEP provides emergency psychiatric assessment and crisis intervention for all of Suffolk County, including evaluation, observation, acute treatment and referrals for both inpatient and outpatient care. The CPEP operates 24/7 with staffing by all board-certified psychiatrists, plus a team of psychiatry residents, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and specialized nursing and social work staff. It handles more than 6,000 patient visits annually.
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