GREENWICH – What drove Dr. Kourtney Koslosky to become the new chair of Greenwich Hospital’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Health department?
As she sees it, it was support from the community, particularly the recent opening of Greenwich Hospital’s Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in partnership with Greenwich United Way.
“I’ve seen an increasing number of children and adolescents presenting to our [Greenwich Hospital] Emergency Department in crisis,” said Dr. Koslosky. “There is an incredible need for behavioral health services in this population, and we are very fortunate to have been able to start our adolescent program. We are one of the only programs in our area offering this level of care.”
With more than a decade of experience at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and the Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS), Dr. Koslosky brings both academic and clinical expertise to her new leadership post.
Before joining the PES team in 2014, she began as a consulting psychiatrist at Greenwich Hospital in 2012. She treated and evaluated patients in both roles, and at YNHH she oversaw residency training, including the observation of patient interviews and guidance on the development of treatment plans.
Ready for a new challenge and excited at the prospect of spearheading a community-oriented team, Dr. Koslosky decided to pursue the chair position. “It felt like the perfect time for me to test my leadership skills in a new environment,” she expressed.
Greenwich Hospital’s Adolescent IOP is a group therapy-based program for patients ages 13–17. It provides a higher level of care than traditional once-a-week individual therapy but is less intensive than inpatient hospitalization.
For the adult population, specifically those with bipolar disorder, depression, mood disorders, schizoaffective disorder or schizophrenia, the Interventional Psychiatry Service (IPS) at Greenwich Hospital delivers cutting edge treatments, including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), ketamine and esketamine.
Confirmed by a now widely cited study conducted by Dr. John Krystal, physician-in-chief of psychiatry, YNHHS and chair, psychiatry, YSM, and his colleagues in the early 1990s, ketamine produces antidepressant effects by working on an entirely different brain system than current antidepressants do. In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expedited the approval of esketamine, derived from ketamine, and administered it as a nasal spray.
“These treatments have enormous benefits in treating many psychiatric conditions,” added Dr. Koslosky. “Results can be quicker than traditional medications, helping people achieve an improved quality of life. I have been fortunate to see in real time the modern breakthroughs of its success.”
Between its adolescent and adult IOPs, along with its geriatric psychiatry services, Greenwich Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health is poised to deliver world-class mental health care across the lifespan, and Dr. Koslosky has a deep understanding of the importance of early recognition.
“Each age group experiences different life challenges,” she said. “However, if mental health is addressed early on, it serves as the solid foundation necessary to carry people through each stage of life.”
The department’s multidisciplinary approach and commitment to compassionate, thoughtful care have Dr. Koslosky positioned to expand the hospital’s innovative mental health services.
“We have an incredible team who are devoted to our patients, and I am looking forward to our work together,” she said.
