Eating disorders program at Rogers Memorial Hospital expands to include specialized care for children and adolescents

Milwaukee - Tracey Cornella-Carlson, M.D., will lead the development of a new inpatient eating disorders treatment program for children and adolescents that will expand the capacity of Rogers Memorial Hospital’s Eating Disorder Services.

“The average age of those suffering from life-stealing diseases like anorexia is dropping,” said Cornella-Carlson.

The federal Office on Women’s Health recently reported that eating disorders are being diagnosed in girls as young as 9 years old. Rogers Memorial’s own statistics report a similar drop in the average age of those seeking treatment for eating disorders. “The numbers of people suffering from eating disorders are on the rise in the United States, not only among adolescent white women, but among all ethnic groups, boys, and even little girls,” Cornella-Carlson said.

“Fortunately,” she said, “treatment does work, especially when it is administered early and integrated with medical care.”

Cornella-Carlson, a board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist at Rogers Memorial, the largest non-profit behavioral health treatment provider in Wisconsin,  will be a hands-on leader and clinician in new program scheduled to open this fall at Rogers Memorial – Milwaukee.

Under Cornella-Carlson’s leadership, Rogers Memorial’s inpatient program for children and adolescents will feature nutritional and medical stabilization, a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation for identification and treatment of potential co-occurring illnesses and family-focused therapy. This inpatient hospitalization program will also be the first at Rogers Memorial to feature on-site dietitian-supervised meals.

“While dietitians have always played a strong role in our treatment centers,” said Cornella-Carlson, “this program will be our first to have the dietitian at the table with our patients.”
This keys in with the program’s educational aspect, Cornella-Carlson said. “Our emphasis will be on educating and involving families. Transitioning to other levels of care will also be a priority,” she said.

“At Rogers Memorial Hospital, we are fortunate to be able to offer residential and partial hospitalization care, which could provide a very smooth transition from the inpatient unit,” explained Theodore Weltzin, Director of Eating Disorder Services at Rogers Memorial. “By offering an entire range of treatment options, we’re better able to help patients sustain their recovery.”

As part of the creation of the program, Cornella-Carlson will be given the title Medical Director of the Child and Adolescent, Inpatient and Partial Hospitalization Eating Disorder Programs at Rogers Memorial – Milwaukee.

Cornella-Carlson received her medical degree from the Chicago Medical School in 1992. She also completed a three-year general psychiatry residency and a two-year fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry as Chief Fellow at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago. She has done research on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and specializes in eating disorder treatment.

Cornella-Carlson is licensed to practice psychiatry in the state of Wisconsin, and a current member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She has seen hundreds of patients with eating disorders during her tenure with Rogers Memorial.