Memorial Hospital of Tampa Reaches Major Milestone in the Treatment of Depression
TAMPA – (November 14, 2019) – On October 30, Jamie Fernandez, MD, of the Behavioral Health Center at Memorial and a psychiatrist on staff at Memorial Hospital of Tampa performed the facility’s 2000th electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) procedure this year.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an outpatient procedure, done under general anesthesia, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure and stimulating areas of the brain that control mood. ECT causes changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental health conditions such as Depression and Bipolar Disorder. ECT has been used successfully for the treatment of depression. In fact, Memorial Hospital provides cutting-edge care for treatment resistant depression. In addition to ECT, Dr. Fernandez also provides SPRAVATO, esketamine nasal spray therapy, which is a newly approved treatment for depression, as well as resources for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), another treatment for depression.
Memorial Hospital is exploring a wide range of cutting-edge technology for the treatment of depression and in the future, the hospital hopes to be the local site leader in treating post-partum depression.
“It’s such a privilege to be able to treat patients for whom little was available 25 years ago,” said Dr. Fernandez. “I’m happy to see psychiatry moving into the future. I could not have achieved this milestone without such a great staff and the team at Memorial Hospital behind me,” she added.
“We are particularly privileged and grateful to have someone with Dr. Fernandez’s credentials and passion for psychiatry on our medical staff,” said Sonia Wellman, CEO.
About Jamie Fernandez, MD
Dr. Fernandez received her medical degree from Weill Medical College of Cornell University and during medical school participated in the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), National Institutes of Health Research Scholars Program. After graduating, she completed an internship in internal medicine at the Department of Medicine New York Hospital Queens and a residency in adult psychiatry at the renowned Stanford University Medical Center. Dr. Fernandez is board certified in adult psychiatry, certified in electroconvulsive therapy, and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Attached photo: Jamie Fernandez, MD (in lab coat) poses with the members of her ECT team.
About Memorial Hospital of Tampa
Located in the heart of South Tampa, Memorial Hospital of Tampa has been providing high quality, advanced care to the community for nearly 50 years. The hospital has been laser focused on providing the highest quality, advanced care to the community since they were acquired by Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), and recently acquired a second campus in Town-n-Country. Memorial Hospital is a full-service, 384-bed, 24-hour Emergency Care facility staffed by over 400 physicians and providing state-of-the-art capabilities and best-in-class destination services designed to meet the unique needs of our community. These include minimally invasive Robotic Surgery Systems, Bariatric (weight loss) and Pelvic Floor Surgery, Orthopedic and Spine Care, Hyperbaric Wound Care, and Advanced Cardiac Imaging. At the Tampa Community Hospital site, services include a 24/7 full-service ER, Inpatient Behavioral Health and The Oasis, an inpatient substance abuse program. For more information, visit our website at www.MemorialHospitalTampa.com or Like Us on Facebook.