Welcome to Summit

Summit Awarded Accreditation from the Joint Commission

Summit has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in behavioral health care. The accreditation award recognizes Summit’s dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards.

Summit underwent a rigorous on-site survey in October 2011. A team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated Summit for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of individuals served and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.

"With Joint Commission accreditation, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down. Joint Commission accreditation provides us a framework to take our organization to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence," says Tony Paulson, Phd, CEO, CCO. "Achieving Joint Commission accreditation, for our organization, is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide."

The Joint Commission’s behavioral health care standards address important functions relating to the care of individuals served and the management of behavioral health care organizations. The standards are developed in consultation with behavioral health care experts, providers, measurement experts, individuals served and their families.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. The Joint Commission also provides certification of more than 1,700 disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

Summit Announces New Outpatient Office in Roseville, California

In Spring 2012, Summit will open a second treatment facility in Roseville, California. The Roseville treatment center will offer outpatient services for adults and adolescents, including an Intensive Outpatient Program, individual and family therapy, psychiatric evaluation and nutrition education. More information about Summit's Roseville outpatient office opening will be available shortly on our website.

Inspiration

A former patient writes an inspirational poem. To read the poem, please click here.

Q&A with Elise Kuiken, RN, Director of Nursing at Summit

The nursing staff at Summit is tasked with working collaboratively with medical and clinical leadership to deliver the treatment plan, monitor patients' medical stability and provide necessary support in the controlled treatment environment. Learn more about the role of nursing at Summit through the Q&A below with Elise Kuiken, RN, Director of Nursing, or click here to learn more about Summit's medical staff.

How did you become interested in becoming a Registered Nurse?
I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. From the time I was little, I can remember telling my family that I would be a nurse when I grew up. The first day of nursing school confirmed nursing was the right profession for me. I love being able to make a difference and help people, and I really enjoy being able to engage in one-on-one health education with patients and their families.

What made you decide to specialize in the treatment of eating disorders?
While in nursing school, I really enjoyed my rotation in mental health and knew that I would like to do something in that field. However, I was not certain exactly what area of mental health I would pursue at the time. When I learned about Summit and was offered an RN position, I was very excited to work with an entirely new population of patients and to expand my knowledge about these illnesses. After attending multiple eating disorders treatment professional conferences and working at Summit for over three years, I cannot see myself doing anything else.

What is your favorite part of working with patients with eating disorders?
My favorite part of working in eating disorders treatment is the opportunity to observe and participate in patients' recovery journeys. I am very fortunate to get to know each person who comes through Summit's doors. I also enjoy that I am able to educate patients and families regarding what to expect from the treatment process from a medical standpoint, and that this understanding can often help them embrace the recovery process. I absolutely feel that every patient teaches me something new, and that helps me grow and develop as a person and a nurse.

What do you enjoy most about working at Summit?
While the patients I work with make each day a new and exciting challenge, my coworkers make Summit an incredible working environment. My colleagues certainly enrich that experience. I think we are a unique setting in that we have a lot of clinical specialties to consult with and I believe that multidisciplinary team benefits our patients' recovery. I learn so much through my collaboration with the therapists, doctors and dieticians and am thankful for the culture of collaboration.

What makes Summit unique…

• More than a decade of experience in Sacramento exclusively treating patients with eating disorders
• Full time medical team daily monitoring and managing the physical and psychiatric needs of patients
• Full time nutrition team
• Flexible scheduling depending on patient need
• Meals prepared on site by our chef
• Cooking experiential groups in our full kitchen
• Activity groups and yoga classes
• Chemical dependency track for those struggling with drug and alcohol issues
• Aftercare services
• Daily study hall for students wishing to keep up on their studies and an onsite credentialed teacher available for tutoring
• Family education and support groups
• Family Based Treatment from staff specifically trained in this treatment method (www.maudsleyparents.org)
• We are located in a beautiful setting adjacent to the American River in Sacramento. We have an additional office in Roseville
• Our overall client satisfaction is 4.58 out of 5 and our outcome results show the effectiveness of our programs
• We offer free housing in a gated luxurious apartment community located directly across the street from our treatment facility for patients who live outside of Sacramento.

Job Announcement

Summit is currently recruiting for a Registered Dietitian and Psychotherapist. View the positions we have open currently.

Summit Admissions Offers LiveChat!

Summit offers LiveChat for individuals interesting in learning more about treatment for an eating disorder. The LiveChat session will be available from 2:00 pm–3:00 p.m. PST. To request a LiveChat appointment, please click on the icon on this home page. Summit will begin offering LiveChat sessions several times per week—so check back for more information or send us a message!

Follow Us On Twitter!

Get inspirational quotes and updated information about eating disorders by following us on Twitter! Visit @drtonypaulson to learn more and send us a tweet.

Celebrating 10 Years of Treating Eating Disorders in Northern California

Summit is the only medically-supervised, comprehensive treatment program in Sacramento, California, serving both adolescents and adults with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. We offer a variety of levels of care, depending on your needs. Our team of experts provides compassionate, comprehensive care. We truly believe that full recovery can happen for everyone, and we make it our job to see this happen.

Our patients come from throughout the United States, and for both adults and families residing outside the greater Sacramento area, we offer free housing in a luxurious, gated apartment community. (Coming soon: video of our apartment housing.)