Patient Experience

Our approach to treatment planning involves working together with patients to develop recommendations for every aspect of treatment during their stay in our facility, including individual and group psychotherapy, psychosocial activities, and medications. Treatment plans also include recommendations for patients to continue to manage illness after they are discharged from the hospital.

 

The Facilities

We are located on the 9th floor of the University of Michigan Hospital. Our newly renovated 25-bed unit offers private and semi-private rooms, a reading library, access to internet terminals and exercise facilities, and all-day dining room access. Several community rooms have flat-screen televisions and comfortable seating. 

An attached Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit allows patients who need more support to be cared for in an environment separate from the general unit. Patients cared for in this area still have access to the same amenities and resources available to all patients.

In addition, the extensive clinical resources of the U-M Hospital and Health System are available to provide for the specific needs of each patient.

Directions, Parking, and Floor Map

 

Treatment team

In our interdisciplinary approach to patient care, treatment teams guide each individual through the inpatient stay. Teams are focused on creating a healthy, safe, and productive environment so that patients can focus on getting well. Upon admission, patients are assigned to a treatment team, which isled by a U-M faculty attending psychiatrist and also includes a resident physician or nurse practitioner, primary care nurses and patient care workers (PCWs), a social worker, and several activity therapists. A clinical pharmacist often joins the team as well to assist with medication-related decisions and education.

We believe the patient is the most important member of the treatment team, and we encourage all patients to actively participate in treatment planning from the time of their admission through discharge and beyond. Early in a patient’s time on “9C,” as our unit is called, the treatment team will present and discuss a formal copy of the treatment plan with the patient. This plan serves as a guide for the patient and the team, and is informally and formally updated frequently.

We are proud to be involved in training and mentoring the next generation of mental health professionals. Our unit is regarded as one of the state’s premiere educational sites. Under the close supervision of our staff, medical trainees may work with a patient’s care team as part of their training.

 

Daily life and routines

Establishing a regular daily routine can greatly contribute to a patient’s return to health. Daily life on the unit follows a structure that includes group and individual therapeutic activities, nutrition, and rest. Daily activity schedules are provided to patients each morning. Routines also consider each patient’s unique therapeutic needs and allow for visiting and other communication with family and friends.

Meals

Eating regular and balanced meals is an important part of achieving and maintaining wellness. Because connecting with others during meals is also important, patients eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together in the dining room. Our unit participates in the “room service” model that has been implemented throughout U-M Hospital, with the exception of adhering to the meal times below.
Approximate meal times:
Breakfast: 8:00 am 
Lunch: 12:00 pm
Dinner: 6:00 pm

Patients on restricted diets may ask loved ones to bring additional food from home. Patients are welcome to use the kitchen facilities throughout the day to obtain beverages and simple snacks, or to heat food in the microwave.

Personal belongings and internet access

Patients may bring some personal articles from home, such as most toiletries and their own clothing. Other items are not permitted in the hospital. Although patients may not bring their own computers or other devices that can access the internet, computer terminals are available on the unit for their use. While it may seem like the list of prohibited items is quite restrictive, please understand that these policies have been put in place to create the safest therapeutic environment possible and are based on the results of extensive research.

No smoking policy

The U-M Health System prohibits smoking in any hospital building or anywhere on hospital property, including the outside grounds. We understand that our non-smoking policy may be stressful for some patients, and we can prescribe nicotine patches, gum, inhalers, and/or lozenges to help alleviate the urge to smoke during their stay.

Laundry

A washer and dryer are available for patient use from 8:00 am until 11:00 pm. Laundry detergent is provided. There is no charge for using the laundry, and the staff is available to assist as needed.