ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a program established in September 1976 at Ben Taub General Hospital, a public hospital affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. The major impetus for this particular program was the recognition of the excellent teaching opportunities available in psychiatric practice at a general hospital emergency center. The minimal staffing for comfortable operation of the Ben Taub Program has been one psychiatric resident, a charge nurse, two mental health workers, and a social worker. This staffing has been present three shifts per day seven days a week throughout the operation of the program. Psychiatry residents see all cases referred to the program. They generally meet with the mental health worker and the nurse to discuss treatment plans as soon as the evaluation phase is completed. Training in the emergency department is accomplished primarily during direct patient contact. Except for a weekly two-hour case conference all didactic teaching is off-site.
