Psychiatry Residency Program

Program Director's Welcome

Thank you for your interest in the Psychiatry Residency Program at Memorial Healthcare System. This past June, we welcomed our 4th class of first-year residents to our program and, for the first time in our brief but notable history, we have four classes of residents working in our clinical rotations. In the summer of 2023, we will be graduating our first class of psychiatry residents, which will certainly be something worth celebrating, as completing a four-year training program in psychiatry is, indeed, a cause for celebration.

At Memorial Healthcare System, we are living up to our promise of providing our trainees with a top-notch educational experience so that our graduates will be well-positioned to take on leadership roles in whatever capacity they may choose to practice psychiatry beyond residency.

Over the past several years, we have added excellent clinicians and educators to our full-time faculty roster, bringing our complement of full-time psychiatry faculty to twelve. Among them is Dr. Omair Abbasi, who was hired as associate program director, and has already improved upon the program’s didactic curriculum, among other important projects. Over the last couple of years, we have incorporated feedback from our residents and newer faculty recruits to make our program more innovative and dynamic. I am proud of all that we have achieved since June of 2019, when we welcomed our inaugural class of psychiatry residents, and look forward to continuing to improve upon what already is an excellent training program.

It's important to highlight that we have been rather fortunate in recruiting smart, curious, affable, and kind residents from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. They have been instrumental in contributing to the program’s mission, despite having trained under adverse circumstances (i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic) no one could have foreseen. Despite such challenges, or perhaps because of them, they seem to have a unique camaraderie and kinship, which is evident whenever we meet as a group. To catch a glimpse of what I’m referring to, please do not hesitate to check the program’s Instagram account.

I hope that, as you explore the content of our program’s website, you will get a sense of what I’ve described above, as well as the enthusiasm and potential that are such integral ingredients in working towards making this the premiere psychiatry residency program in the region.

Jorge Luis Sotelo, MD, FAPA, FACLP

The Psychiatry Residency Program at Memorial Healthcare System reflects the motto of the overall institution which is to “heal the mind, body, and spirit of those we touch.” Our strongest asset are our colleagues and the communities we serve.

Our small program size allows us to invest in each of our trainees and help them develop into astute, caring, well-rounded psychiatrists while pursuing their individual interests. Our teaching faculty consists of well-trained physicians from diverse backgrounds who are invested in educating our residents. The work environment is warm, friendly, and collegial. The GME programs at Memorial Health System are strongly supported by the institution at large and residents are treated as an integral part of the healthcare system.

In addition to graduate medical education, we are a community-based university-affiliated program and residents are involved with teaching medical students throughout the year. We are affiliated with Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, and the University of Miami.

• We are a Community-Based University Affiliated Program. The program is sponsored by the Memorial Healthcare System. The System trains hundreds of medical students each year and is affiliated with Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Florida International University (FIU), and Nova Southeastern University College Of Osteopathic Medicine.
• The Psychiatry Residency Program is based at Memorial Regional Hospital, the flagship hospital of the Memorial Healthcare System. It consists of rotations in Memorial Regional Hospital’s Center for Behavioral Health (CBH) and the Outpatient Behavioral Health Center (OBHC).
• Memorial Regional Hospital’s CBH has three adult inpatient psychiatry units (a total of 53 beds) and one child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient unit (a total of 12 beds) and residents will rotate through all of these sites.
• The OBHC provides many opportunities for residents to be exposed to outpatient opportunities, such as medication management clinics, intensive outpatient programs, dialectical behavioral therapy, a drop-in center, and an integrated primary care clinic, just to name a few.
• Residents will have exposure to cutting-edge programs, including: an esketamine clinic for the treatment of refractory depressive disorders, Long-Acting Therapy (LAT) program to treat individuals with severe chronic mental illness with long-acting depot psychotropic medications, and the Mothers in Recovery (MIR), Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), and Behavioral Health Transitions (BHT) programs to treat individuals with opioid use disorders.
• Great patient diversity and a wide range of psychopathology, which rivals that of any large inner city hospital.
• Memorial Healthcare system has an Office of Human Research with its own Institutional Review Board (IRB). Dr. Candice Sareli, our Chief Medical Research Officer, and her team will assist residents with the development of their research and with their submission to the IRB. Participation in some form of scholarly activity is mandatory for graduation from the program. In addition, residents will be trained in the basic concepts of quality improvement and patient safety and will have the opportunity to participate in quality improvement projects during their training.
• Our small program allows us to get to know each of our residents on a personal level and to provide a learning environment rich with camaraderie and with the opportunity to develop one-on-one relationships with colleagues, faculty and mentors.

Community Sites and Services

Memorial Healthcare System has been a Broward county staple for community health since its establishment in 1951. The Psychiatry Residency program is based at Memorial Regional Hospital, the flagship hospital of the Memorial Healthcare System and the third largest public hospital in the United States. Within the hospital exists the Center for Behavioral Health – a 65 bed inpatient psychiatry unit consisting of 3 adult units (53 beds) and one child and adolescent unit (12 beds). Here, residents have the opportunity to encounter a variety of psychiatric disorders in a diverse array of patients which rivals that of any large metropolitan hospital.

In addition to the Center for Behavioral Health, Memorial Healthcare System also has the Outpatient Behavioral Health Center. This center provides many opportunities for residents to be exposed to outpatient opportunities, such as medication management clinics, intensive outpatient programs, dialectical behavioral therapy, a community drop-in center, and an integrated primary care clinic, just to name a few.

Residents will also have exposure to cutting-edge programs, including:

• Long-Acting Therapy (LAT): Program treats individuals with severe chronic mental illness with long-acting depot psychotropic medications.
• Esketamine Clinic: For the treatment of individuals with refractory depressive disorder.
• Mothers in Recovery (MIR): Helps mother and baby safely withdraw from substances and supports mom meet recovery goals.
• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Treatment for people with severe substance use disorders.
• Behavioral Health Transitions (BHT): Services designed to reduce readmissions/adverse events for patients with behavioral health conditions treated in the ER or inpatient.

About Memorial Regional Hospital

Memorial Regional Hospital (MRH) is the flagship facility of MHS and one of the largest hospitals in Florida. Our 797-bed facility offers extensive and diverse health care services and is one of only seven American College of Surgeons designated Level 1 Trauma Centers in the entire state of Florida.

Among its renowned programs are:

• Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute
• Memorial Cancer Institute
• Memorial Neuroscience Institute
• Memorial Rehabilitation Institute
• Bariatric Surgery Center recognized by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP)

See awards given to Memorial Healthcare System.

Center for Behavioral Health (CBH) at Memorial Regional Hospital

• Inpatient Psychiatric Admissions in Fiscal Year 2017: 2,526 Adults and 729 Children and Adolescents
• Patients seen in the psychiatric emergency department in a recent 12-month cycle: 5,376
• Patients seen in the Behavioral Health Unit and either admitted to a medical floor or discharged home in a recent 12-month cycle: 972

Outpatient Behavioral Health Center (OBHC)

Clinicians in the OBHC offer a wide range of outpatient behavioral health services for adults including:

• Addiction consultation
• Ambulatory detoxification program
• Diagnostic evaluation
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Group therapies for trauma resolution and chronic pain
• Family support services
• Individual psychotherapy
• Mental health and substance abuse services for persons with HIV/AIDS
• Mood and anxiety disorders treatment (Choices Program)
• Outpatient detoxification
• Outpatient treatment of alcohol and drug abuse
• Peer mentoring/recovery support (Rebel’s Drop-In Center)
• Psychopharmacology consultation
• Second opinion and consultative psychiatric services
• Trauma information and resolution therapy

Psychotherapy Services

Our team of licensed psychotherapists, mental health counselors and certified peer specialists provide effective psychotherapy services to assist individuals with a variety of issues including:

• Anger management
• Anxiety (including social anxiety)
• Coping with stress
• Depression
• Emotional distress
• Grief and loss
• Interpersonal conflict
• Low self-esteem
• Relationship problems
• Stress management/coping with stress

Our licensed and expertly trained psychotherapists offer a variety of treatment strategies and programs including:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Family therapy
• Group therapy
• Individual psychotherapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Solution-focused techniques
• Trauma information and resolution therapy