Dr. Mary Nord Cook, a practicing psychiatrist who most recently lived in Denver, Colo., has been hired by Presbyterian Healthcare Services to become Director of Behavioral Services at Lincoln County Medical Center.
“We’re very excited to be welcoming Dr. Nord Cook to our team,” the hospital’s chief executive, Todd Oberheu, said. “The addition of behavioral health services represents an important opportunity to address a critical community need and expand access to high-quality care close to home.”
Nord Cook has over thirty years of working in behavioral healthcare, primarily as medical director of Colorado Children’s Hospital. She is a medical school graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit and has also worked at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego. She is a board certified general, child and adolescent psychiatrist.
“One of my favorite things to do professionally is to start new programs within a community,” Nord Cook said. “Right now, I’m learning about what healthcare services are immediately necessary that we can offer that would be helpful to patients.”
For instance, Nord Cook points to a busy emergency room at LCMC as one of the first items on her agenda to make an impact. She says the emergency room can become overwhelmed with behavioral health patients seeking immediate medical attention.
“There are many instances when behavioral health patients visit the local emergency room because they have failed to take their regular medications,” Nord Cook said. “If a patient indicates they are in an emergency situation (like suicidal tendencies) the staff must deal with that patient on a one-on-one basis which can make staffing the emergency room for other medical patients extremely difficult.”
Read more in the Ruidoso News.
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