Neurotherapeutics Clinic Opens at McLean SouthEast in Middleborough

Clinic offers South Shore residents convenient access to cutting-edge treatments for depression, including transcranial magnetic stimulation and esketamine

December 1, 2022

In an effort to deliver cutting-edge therapies to patients with major depression with convenient access to their local communities, McLean Hospital is expanding its treatment services with the opening of a neurotherapeutics clinic at the McLean SouthEast campus at 52 Oak Street in Middleborough, Massachusetts.

The new clinic offers transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and esketamine (Spravato®) for patients with major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Since these treatments require frequent appointments for patients, this new location aims to provide a more convenient access point for care for residents in southern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island.

The new clinic represents an ongoing effort for McLean Hospital, a member of Mass General Brigham, to expand its treatment offerings into the region through its McLean SouthEast campus and its growing list of services.

“There is a significant demand for treatments for major depression, and we are delighted to be able to offer them to patients closer to their homes,” said Paula Bolton, MS, CNP, ANP-BC, program director of the Psychiatric Neurotherapeutics Program and interim associate chief nursing officer at McLean.

“As these treatments require frequent administration, we sought to meet the needs of patients who in the past might have had to travel further to McLean’s main Belmont campus for these therapies.”

Safe and Effective Newer Therapies for Patients With Depression

The treatment offerings in the new neurotherapeutics clinic at McLean SouthEast at Oak Street are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating patients with major depression.

TMS uses focused magnetic impulses to non-invasively stimulate the brain in the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain associated with mood regulation. Patients typically receive 20 to 30 treatments over four to six weeks (five times per week, which may also be followed by a taper phase). The course of treatment varies according to each individual.

Therapist and patient talking

Esketamine (Spravato®) is a self-administered intranasal medication that must be used under observation by a health care provider. People who receive esketamine are also on other antidepressant medications.

Esketamine patients typically receive two treatments per week for four weeks and then taper down to a maintenance phase, with treatments every one to two weeks.

Patients are carefully monitored before, during, and after this treatment and are required to stay for two hours after medication administration and need a responsible adult to drive them home.

“These treatments are proven to be safe and effective in treating major depression and depression that does not respond to other treatments, such as antidepressants or therapy,” said Stephen J. Seiner, MD, director of the Psychiatric Neurotherapeutics Program at McLean Hospital.

“Patients referred to the clinic will accordingly receive a comprehensive consultation to help ensure the treatment they are recommended aligns with the latest scientific evidence and their personal needs.”

Both TMS and esketamine treatments are covered by most public and private insurances. Administrative support staff at the neurotherapeutics clinic work with patients to access pre-authorization for treatment.

Adults over the age of 18 with access to the Middleborough area who are interested in utilizing these treatments, or their referring providers, can call 508.923.5445 for more information.

A Major Mental Health Treatment Hub in the Community

McLean SouthEast in Middleborough has continually expanded its services to meet the needs of the community.

In response to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on mental health and increased demand for patient care, McLean SouthEast recently expanded with an additional 68-bed inpatient facility for children, adolescents, and adults in a new facility at Oak Street in Middleborough. The new neurotherapeutics clinic is also located on this campus.

McLean SouthEast now has two campuses—Isaac Street and Oak Street—approximately one mile away from one another. Combined, the campuses offer three adult inpatient units, one adolescent residential program, one adolescent inpatient unit, and one hub for the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP).

McLean SouthEast at Isaac Street initially opened in 1999.

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