Can someone provide the email for this program I really need to reach out thanks

Does anyone have any advice regarding how to reach out to get more information/talk to admissions? Is there an email or just the phone number on their site?

Does anyone have a review for this year?

Hi! I am currently on the waitlist for Sanford and will be entering the program as a new patient. I am interested in exploring the SEED model but understand that you are not eligible for the SEED program during your first stay. Does anyone have recent experience at Sanford and/or additional insights on what the first stay typically entails? Thank you!

Dose anyone know if they’d consider a younger adult for the SEED program? I got my ed has a young child and have been in and out of every level of care and completed all the levels of care multiple times I just didn’t know if age alone with just completely make them not even consider?

I’m in need of Sanford’s email as I’m non verbal please only clinics email

I am headed here as my name on the waitlist gets to the top! Anyone been here recently/currently? I am encouraged because it seems to have pretty good reviews. I’m currently getting medically stabilized and this will be my step-down.

Does anyone know if they take out of state Medicaid or have ever been known to do single case agreements? Specifically for the SEED program

I am so sorry it’s taken me this long to post this review. I’ve been home just over 7 weeks as of finally finishing it here, and I wanted to do this so much sooner. I’m just still very much in the wanting-to-be-back-at-Sanford place and it’s hard to live in the real world and think about anything outside of all the treatment stuff I have to navigate.

• When were you there?

March-June 2024 (3 months)

• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?

IP 2.5 months, PHP a couple weeks

• If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?

Yes, at least on the IP side, because it’s a hospital and there is often a need for wheelchair usage or walkers, other aids, etc. PHP is wheelchair accessible at the hospital, but things like weekly outings may not be quite as possible.

• How many patients are there on average?

Max of 8 on IP (and it’s almost always full unless it’s a transition period where someone discharges later in the week and they don’t want to do a new admit right before the weekend. There were always between 6-8 when I was there, though)

Max of 10-12 in PHP (but in my practice, and from what a staff member said once, I don’t think they’d really have more than 16 patients total at a time, simply because the meal room would be way too crowded with all patients and staff, since most meals/snacks are together with IP and PHP.

• What genders does it treat?

All. Also ages from like 12+. There were people there from age 13-early 70s when I was there.

• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?

To the best of my knowledge, yeah. I wasn’t there with any trans or nonbinary individuals, and it IS in North Dakota, which is one of the most conservative states in the nation, but I don’t ever recall anything but kindness or different from all staff toward patients when it came to things like sexual orientation, or even some stereotypically “liberal” things, etc. They’re good at treating human patients and I truly believe they all care.

• How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?

IP: You see your assigned doctor (psychiatrist/MD) every day, M-F. Sometimes you may see the other main program doctor, but that’s if yours happens to be taking any day/week off, for whatever reason. 

You also very briefly check-in with a rotating hospital on-call MD on the weekends, but it’s more of a required checklist thing (though if there’s an emergent need, or if you need something like a pass granted on the weekend, they can do that) instead of a full-blown appointment.

• What is the staff-to-patient ratio?

Ideally, 2 nurses and 1 tech for 8 patients on the IP side. Usually just 1 nurse for PHP, but when I was there, there were never more than 6 in PHP at a time, often 4, so I don’t know if the nurse situation would change if they had 8-10 patients. No techs for PHP.

That said, techs weren’t always available or there, and on the weekends, especially, if there’s no tech the nurses can be really overworked with just two of them there (during the week the PHP nurse can also go to IP if needed for something, but there’s no PHP on the weekends). 

They are really good at doing their job, and they will go above and beyond to help patients in any way they can, but when you have 8 patients, all work very individualized needs, and 2 nurses with no tech to help with the non-emergent, non-medical things (like opening the bathroom, or filling water, helping with something in the day area, engaging with patients to help them feel like human participants, etc.), it’s a lot of the nurses to have to keep up with.

I have a lot of atypical medical needs, and while it took a while to get things into a rhythm, they kept trying, and as a result, so did I. 

By the time I left, I was always telling them to go take care of everyone else’s meds and stuff first, especially on the weekend nights, and come to me last before bed, because I was used to how things can take a while if unexpected issues arise, and after being there a while, I knew it was often a possibility, and knew it was anxiety-provoking for others who weren’t used to the way things can happen.

My point being: they work with you as long as you’re not actively working against them and against yourself. If you’re a teen, they will probably work to keep you there harder if your ED causes you to break rules, but for adults, since you’re (usually) choosing to be there, they don’t have a whole lot of tolerance for just not following the rules. 

However, they ALSO have a SEED track, so sometimes it’s a little bit of a mindF* if you’re not on the SEED track, and others are, and they’re able to go to exercise group or do other things that non-SEED patients can’t. 

That part can be hella triggering at times, depending on if anyone is on the SEED track, and/or how the patients on the SEED track manage their disorder around others. I’m really thankful they have a SEED track, because while they didn’t force me to go that route, and let me stay for 3 months, they made it clear they’re always there if I’m ever in need of a “tune up,” which is nice to know, since I’ve been dealing with this stuff for over 2 decades, and have no idea if I’ll ever be able to fully recover (not saying it’s impossible, just saying I also can’t say it’s 100% going to happen for me at this point), so the fact that they were open about not being a closed door was super comforting to me. Especially since I have a lot of previous treatment abandonment trauma at all levels of care.

• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?

CBT, DBT (my fave), ACT, Process group, Emotions group, Occupational therapy, Rec Therapy, Relapse Prevention (mostly PHP), Exposure therapy, Mindfulness)

• Describe the average day:

Specific details in following answers, but the general timeline is:

Inpatient: 

• Vitals, weights, showers (if you’re a morning shower person) starting around 5:30/6, sometimes earlier if labs are needed to be drawn. Then you have time to get ready for the day, fill out your daily debrief sheet for them to give to staff, and get out to the day area before breakfast starts at 7:45.

PHP:

• Need to be at the hospital by 7:15 for weights, vitals, debrief etc., before breakfast.

• What were meals like?

The timing of meals was always the same, and pretty much always on schedule. 
Breakfast 7:45am
AM snack 9:45am
Lunch: 12 noon
PM snack: 3pm
Supper: 5pm
HS Snack: 8pm (IP only, PHP is on their own for HS)

Meals were 30 minutes on the dot, snacks were 15 minutes. No leeway with timing. After each meal, there is one hour of observation, so if there are no groups or appointments, you have to stay in the day area until Obs is over. After snacks it’s 30 minutes. 

They will open the bathroom after Obs is over and you can use one of the 4 stalls available. You can shut the stall door (but not lock it), and staff has to flush for you. If you have an emergency and have to go during Obs, they can open it, but will have to keep your stall door open). 

They will also open the bathroom shortly before every meal or snack as long as there’s not a group running right up against it, because they want you to be able to go if you need to. 

There’s a bathroom schedule posted on the wall in the day area, and they pretty much stick to it, though sometimes they may open it additional times, or very rarely have to delay one due to programming. But if you ask, they’ll always try to make it happen.

• What sorts of food were available or served?

This one is a little harder for me to answer, simply because I had a lot of different accommodations due to my health issues. I will give some examples, though please know that my knowledge of their entrées/meals is limited because my selection was very limited, moreso than most. It’s honestly not all that outside the norm as far as hospital options go, though.

Snacks included things like (taking a selection from their snack list, which is in alphabetical order):

• Angel food cake
• Almonds
• Bagel
• Bread/toast with peanut butter/jam/cream cheese, hummus, etc.
• Brownie 
• Chai tea latte
• Carrot cake
• Cereal (handful of options)
• Cheese and crackers
• Chips (assorted kinds)
• Cookie
• Cottage cheese
• Fruit (canned applesauce, pears, peaches, mandarin oranges, prunes) (fresh banana, grapes, orange, apple, fresh fruit plate)
• Graham crackers (with or without peanut butter)
• Granola bar
• Jell-O
• Juice
• Milk (Skim, lactose-free, 2%, whole, chocolate, soy, almond, all with varying exchanges)
• Muffin
• Pie (pumpkin or lemon meringue)
• Pudding
• Oreo pudding parfait
• Rice Krispie bar
• Saltine crackers
• Strawberry White chocolate mousse cake
• String cheese
• Yogurt
• Greek yogurt
• Cheese Nips
• Lorna Doones
• Assorted Candy/Candy bars (Kit-Kat, Milky Way, Regular or Oeanut M&Ms, Doce dark chocolate bar, Reese’s PB Cup, Nibs, Salted Nut Roll, Skittles
• Frozen fruit slush
• Popsicle
• Milkshakes of various sizes/exchanges
• Rainbow sherbet, Ice cream, Frozen yogurt
• Apple compote
• Red pepper hummus
• Granola
• Peanut butter
• Cream cheese (regular, strawberry, berry, herb)
• Raisins
• Boost, Boost Plus, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Boost Breeze, Magic Cup, Benecalorie 

Meals Examples:

(Again, I had basically the same menu most days I was there, once I got past the initial feeding stages. This was not typical, nor was it an ED thing, it was due to underlying medical reasons. But that’s the example I have, so anything else that I share is based on what I saw others have)

Example breakfast options

• Bagel with cream cheese and jam 
• Toast with cream cheese and jam, or peanut butter, or butter (with or without jam)
• English muffin (with any of the above condiments)
• Oatmeal (I usually tried to plan soy milk with this so it could be customized, texturally)
• Apple juice, grape juice, other fruit or fruit juice
• Milk
• Blueberry, multigrain, or apple cinnamon muffin
• Things I’m pretty sure I saw they had available and/or took from the education sheets they give about the exchange system: pancakes, French toast, cinnamon roll, waffles, eggs (various preparations), sausage, bacon, cottage cheese, 

Example lunch/supper options:

• Garden burger with bun (with or without cheese)
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• Things I’m pretty sure I remember them offering/things from the exchange education sheets: Regular burgers, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, pizza, mac and cheese, pot pie, soups, chili, tuna salad, chicken salad, lasagna, salads (with protein, toppings, and dressing), sandwiches with deli meat+cheese, spaghetti, and I’m sure other things I just don’t know about.
• Sides included things like: mashed potatoes, potato wedges, green beans, rice, diced carrots, corn, broccoli, fries, fruit (juice, canned, fresh), and basically anything from the snack list above

• Did they supplement? How did that system work?

Yes. There are tubes there, and they will use them, but most of the people who had them when I was there came in with them. Sanford only really placed a couple for people while I was there, and usually teens, because if they refuse to eat they can’t kick them out for not complying like they technically could for adults who refuse. But they definitely use them if needed.

That said, there were many times where I couldn’t finish a meal for whatever reason, and a few times I couldn’t eat at all, and they gave me the opportunity to drink it. I also had a surgical feeding tube which we used every night for the first 7 weeks I was there. 

But it was always supplementary at night, and they don’t like running them during the day (unless someone has a medical condition that necessitates it), so any supplement I was given for meals was given to me to drink in the few minutes after a meal, not added to my tube feeds.

For supplementing meals/snacks (whether not finishing them, or if you need added supplementary I take at meals during restoration), they usually use Boost. If you have a legit medical reason and doctor’s explanation saying you need to use a more hypoallergenic and/or plant-based formula, it’s possible they’ll use Compleat (for tube feeds and drinkable supplementing–I had it for both). They also have the ability (I think) to use Boost Breeze, Magic Cup, and another alternative supplement products, (maybe Carnation Instant Breakfast?), and those are also available to select on your menu once you’re doing your own menus. 

They supplement based on percentage/number of exchanges completed and measure it pretty specifically.

• What is the policy of not complying with meals?

Get supplemented. Possible tube, but if you don’t already have one, it’s probably not as likely for them to initiate tubing an adult opposed to an adolescent. Though it definitely did happen a couple times whole I was there. You get 5 minutes to drink a supplement for the whole meal.

Lose privileges (movement, technology). No walks, on-unit or off. Having to use a wheelchair. Being on bed rest. Being kicked out (if a voluntary adult admit). 

• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?

Vegetarian, yes. Vegan, no. They just don’t have enough options on the hospital menu to cover your needs completely vegan.
 

• What privileges are allowed?

Adults have access to technology basically all the time, as long as it’s not active programming/group/meal/snack times. Obviously they don’t want people to stay up all night on their devices, but they’re pretty lenient with adult electronics as long as you’re following the program and doing what you need to do. You’re also allowed to have chargers in your room, though I can imagine if it is a safety issue for someone, it might be different on a case by case basis.

(I repeat some of this in the question about electronics policy, but didn’t realize I repeated it until after I typed it, because I’ve been working on this review for nearly 2 months, my apologies)

You can’t take pictures or videos while you’re there, but if you are in your own room, alone (which you always will be, as far as other patients go. Obviously staff will be in your room, but patients are not allowed to go into each other‘s rooms, and I actually think that’s a really helpful thing that they implement.

You’re able to go on passes, whether on the hospital grounds, or longer passes if there’s someone you can go out with on the weekend, etc. It’s not always super common, because most people aren’t necessarily on the inpatient side long enough to get to a point where they’re able to do passes, but it does happen.

Re: Passes:

• Teens can only leave for off-unit passes with written parental consent.
• When you want a pass, you need to talk with your treatment team, who will decide the right time for a pass to be given.
• When an off-unit pass is given, all inpatients (adults and teens) must have a responsible adult to be with them. And that person should also return with you to the unit when the pass is over.

I will say, there were a lot of things I had to do while I was there that were very outside their norm, as far as logistical things go, due to my extremely varied medical conditions and accommodations they require. 

Since I was there for three months, I also learned that the more I showed them I could be trusted to be safe and not try to break program rules or engage in behaviors in my room, the more trust they gave me as far as things I was allowed to have in my room, etc. 

I don’t really want to talk about specifics, simply because it is a very individualized program and that would also be on a case by case basis, But it spoke a lot how individualized treatment, when, at the end of my three months there, some of the things they were letting me have access to in my room results of me showing up and showing them I could be responsible and trusted. That meant a lot to me.

• Does it work on a level system?

Yes, sort of. It’s not a level system like some places use, where you have to do XYZ worksheets and move up numbered levels, but they do have a level systems sort of based on the tables in the dining room. They do this based on colors, and it confused me at first because the actual tables don’t have anything on them that is colored, so this is more just the descriptors that they use. 

However, it is common to have people who are at the same level sits at the same tables, unless the patient population is in balanced as far as the spread of patience across levels, in which case there can be some mixing and matching. It’s not a big dining room, so I don’t really think it makes that much of a difference.

They also have levels for Activity and Electronics, which I’ll describe after the Dietary/table levels.

The table levels are: Orange table, Blue table, Purple table, Magenta table

Orange table

• Everyone starts here at Orange table.
• Goals for Orange table:
• To support patients who are trying a different model than what they have tried in previous treatments.
• To help them eat.
• To focus on weight stabilization and maintenance more than restoration.
• It is not so much about what or how they eat, that they eat.
• Orange table atmosphere:
• Regarding food talk: discussion should be based on what is needed for the patients to be able to eat exchanges.
• Discussion and nonverbal messages should be supportive, calming, and reassuring.
• Redirection is provided if ED behaviors are affecting the patient’s ability to get in exchanges.
• Specific orange table guidelines:
• Condiments will be on menus only, not given by request in the dining room.
• When meal time is over, leave your tray on the table. Do not stack empty containers.

Blue table

• Goals for blue table:
• To provide a supportive environment for patients who need to begin the process of eating again.
• Table atmosphere for blue table:
• Food talk should be redirected as it happens.
• Redirection may be given for behaviors
• Specific table guidelines
• Condiments will be on menus only.
• When mealtime is over, leave tray on the table. Do not stack empty containers.
• No mixing of foods into unusual combinations.
• No excessive cutting, handling, mashing or breaking of food.
• You will be expected to eat food in regular sized bites. Finger food will be eaten as such, not with utensils.
• All condiments that are included in your exchange count should be placed on food prior to beginning to eat.

Purple table

• Goals for purple table:
• To set the stage for patients to make good decisions during the meal with staff setting limits but allowing room for patients to make decisions.
• Adolescents practice meals plans per their parent’s behavioral plan.
• Table Atmosphere
• Normalized discussion, which may include food talk at times.
• Minimal redirection, though some will be needed.
• Specific table guidelines
• Patients can add own condiments
• Patients will put trays away at end of meal. Do not stack empty containers.
• Patients will portion some food items and prepare foods/trays.
• No mixing food into unusual combinations.
• No excessive cutting handling mashing or breaking of food.
• You will be expected to eat food in regular sized bites. Finger food will be eaten as such.
• All condiments that are included in your exchange count should be placed on food prior to beginning to eat.
• If boost supplement is needed, patients will portion it with observation of staff.

Magenta table:

• Goals for Magenta table:
• To help patients, who have made significant progress in PHP, feel more comfortable eating and making recovery choices on their own.
• Table Atmosphere
• Minimal staff oversight
• Staff should be supportive and encouraging of successful independent practice.
• Specific table guidelines
• Patients will portion food items and be able to prepare foods/tray independently.
• Do not stack empty containers.
• Patients can add own condiments and condiment caddy will be provided.
• No mixing of food into unusual combinations.
• No excessive cutting handling, mashing or breaking of food is permitted.
• You will be expected to eat food in regular sized bites. Finger foods will be eaten as such.
• All condiments that are included in your exchange count should be placed/used on food prior to beginning to eat.
• If boost supplement is needed, patients will portion it with observation of staff.

Assorted dining room rules:

• Expected to eat all exchanges within 30 minutes for meal or 15 minutes for snack, and remain seated the entire time.
• Supplement will be provided for any exchanges that were not finished.
• You expected to eat what’s on your tray without bargaining or trading.
• Long sleeves need to be pushed up. No tops with pocket/hoods, OR pockets will be taped upon entering dining room (some staff enforce this more than others). Pretty standard, though.
• Food and beverages will not be reheated once the meal has begun. The need to reheat is based on staff discretion. You cannot have food heated that is normally served cold or room temperature.
• Stepf will not get up from their table/seat once patients are in the dining room and the meal/Acca started.
• Intake is limited. You can have one caffeinated beverage per day unless order differently by your doctor (this was coffee at breakfast, but sometimes it would be soda later in the day, or caffeinated tea in the morning)
• You can also have one calorie free beverage with each meal, as long as there’s not a medical reason your restricted. Like Sprite zero, Diet Coke, chamomile tea, etc. You also always have the option of your water mug that they give every patient, and there are also expectations for staying adequately hydrated by drinking the water.

Activity levels:

• A1, A2, A3, A4
• Level A1 (standard entry-level)
• Treatment team must clear all participation in on/off unit activity.
• Level A2:
• May participate in therapeutic outings.
• May be granted ground passes to be taken off the units (but not off hospital grounds) with an authorized adult.
• Passes are two hour maximum.
• No eating while on pass.
• Level A3:
• May take a 4-hour snack pass off unit with an authorized adult when approved by your treatment team.
• Level A4:
• May take 5-hour meal pass off unit with an authorized adult when approved by your treatment team. This level includes a meal and a snack.
• Criteria for moving up the activity levels:
• Showing enough medical and psychiatric stability to participate in offsite outing/activities.
• Evidence of weight gain if on weight restoration.
• Not doing compensatory behaviors (i.e.purging, restricting, use of large amounts of supplement).
• Have a low risk of impulsive behaviors while off the unit (i.e. binge/purge behaviors, alcohol/drug use, self-harm)
• Previous level has been determined to be successful by support and staff.

Electronics levels (inpatient only):

• E0, E1, E2, E3
• Level E0:
• NO access to personal electronics
• Level E1:
• Electronics are allowed from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM Monday through Friday, and 1 PM to 9:30 PM on weekends and holidays. Always outside of meals/snacks/group times. (See my more detailed answer to the question about the electronics policy for more on this; I only ever saw the time restriction for teens or for those who weren’t following the program rules)
• Level E2:
• Electronics are locked overnight between 9:30pm and morning vitals (again, I only saw this with teens and those who weren’t following program rules and expectations
• Level E3:
• Electronics are always available.

They say all patients will start at level E1 upon admission. At a lessons will remain at E1. Adults can change levels per team discussion. Adolescents can have access to the unit phone at any time to call parents, and can receive calls from parents on unit phone at any time (outside of meals/snack/groups). If you’re an adult who used cordless phones growing up, you may be asked by the teens for assistance in using a cordless phone, in our current cell phone era. It honestly made me smile.

Dietary levels outside of table colors (D0-DF):

Level DO (D-Zero):

• You do not make any food choices. Meals and snacks are selected by dietitians to meet exchange needs.

Level D1:

• Set options. You will be making food choices from set options. The options will progress from set choices to filling out a menu based on your exchange needs after exchange education is completed.

Level D2:

• Menu select. You will complete a menu according to your exchange needs.
• You will be asked to choose options from the provided menu with limited write-in choices.
• Any exceptions to this guideline will be made on an individual basis.
• Dietary will review your menus. Changes to your menus may be needed based on the review.

Level D3:

• Advanced menu select. You will complete your menu according to the guidelines noted for level D2.
• In addition:
• You will be challenged with planned and unplanned food choices.
• Examples of these challenges could include choosing a meal or snack from the cafeteria or choosing exchanges from the dining room at the time of the meal or snack.
• The frequency of challenges will determined on an individual basis.

Level DF

• Family Select. Appropriate family members will complete menus for you.
• Family members) will receive exchange education. They will learn ways to support you from both nutrition and therapy staff.
• Family will continue to receive assistance and guidance as needed.

Your treatment team will decide about when you should move to a new level according to your needs and progress.

• How do you earn privileges?

Complete all meals/snacks. Go to groups and engage in programming.

• What sort of groups do they have?

CBT, DBT, ACT, Emotions (a general emotions group), Processing/Skills Integration group, Group Fitness/Goga group (if cleared), Creativity group, Relaxation/Mindfulness group, Patient-led weekly group on Friday, Goals group, Nutrition Education/Meal Planning, “Book Club” (which often I cocked things like blog posts or TED talks and activities that channeled creativity and discussion around a particular topic), Self-Acceptance, Life/Communicarion Skills, Body Image (mostly for PHP), Cognitive Skills, Balanced Living, Relapse Prevention (mostly for PHP).

You are expected to attend all scheduled activities and groups.

You are expected to complete any assignments given to you in group (these are very doable and it’s low-stress, it’s not like you’re getting graded, they just want to make sure you’re engaging and getting benefit from programming, I really loved the assignments, myself).

There’s Family Style lunch on Tuesdays. PHP is involved with prep and purple table eat separately. All other tables eat in Group Room 2, where groups are often held, for a change of scenery and communal atmosphere once a week. Exposure, man.

• What was your favorite group?

DBT, Creativity, Life Skills, Patient-led, Skills Integration/Processing, Goals

• If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? 

I’d wager to say they’re fairly trauma informed, but it’s not a selling point and not their speciality, so I wouldn’t necessarily go here if you are looking for very specific trauma care, unless you need medical stabilization, which I firmly believe they can do better than anywhere in the country. Don’t quote me on that, though, just my impression. I have CPTSD and didn’t have any issues, but I can’t speak for others.

• What did you like the most?

The individual nature of programming. Everyone has some things they have to do a across the board, but they also really tailor your treatment for YOU and what YOU need to meet YOUR goals (and their goals for you, as you collaborate, especially if an adult), so it’s a very personal, non-cookie-cutter approach. 

Also, the staff. They all care. They’re amazing at their job. Some may enforce rules more consistently, or others may not always come across in the exact “right” way, but I never doubted their heart or motive/desire to help. 

While I didn’t start off on a great foot with a few staff members, I was on great terms with most in a matter of a couple of week. The other few, it was a matter of circumstance and them not really knowing me yet (and vice versa), and by the time I left, I was on good terms with even those with whom I started off in the wrong foot.

They can seem hardline sometimes, but as they will tell you, it’s because it’s not their job to be your friend. Many of them ARE very friendly in general, but even they will tell you it’s their job to fight back against your ED, and sometimes that can feel like they’re against YOU (but that’s not the case). 

The nurses, therapists, doctors, dietitians. techs, exercise physiologist, hospital PT…they all really care and want to help people break free.

• What did you like the least?

The social dynamics that could sometimes happen. I was there for 3 months, and saw a lot of people come and go in that time, as well as experienced many different “environments” in the day area. My first month was really rough because there were some legit mean girl, middle school bully social dynamics going on, and I was the one targeted. 

The nurses and other staff actually witnessed it happening, and they tried to find ways to mitigate it, but it didn’t really happen until some of the people who were instigating it transitioned from IP to PHP, so I wasn’t around them much, outside of being in the meal room and for 2 groups each week.

I then was with a great group of people for about a month, and it felt like a totally different place. The vibe was good, we all encouraged each other, we all genuinely wanted to heal, we had a real sense of community and everyone could feel it.

Then most of that group ended up leaving, and my last month or so (2 weeks IP, 2 PHP), while there were some genuinely wonderful souls there with me, the environment became a little more toxic and triggering and there were some issues of just general vibe that were coming up, but honestly, stay was on top of it, and it’s nothing unexpected. Stuff like group dynamics is always in flux in any treatment setting.

• Would you recommend this program?

Absolutely, yes. Beyond a shadow of a doubt. I will say it might be best if you’re determined to stay focused on you and not others, because sometimes the triggers can be difficult to manage (especially with a SEED track, if you’re not on it), but I believe it’s the best place in the country someone could get help, ESPECIALLY if they have considerable medical issues that need stabilizing or are too complex to be treated elsewhere.

• What level of activity or exercise was allowed?

(More detail on this above in the section about exercise levels)
Once you completed all meals/snacks for 24 hours, they’d have you meet with the exercise therapist. She would determine if you were cleared for movement, and determine what that meant. I was in a wheelchair most of my time there, due to underlying physical illnesses. 

But this could vary from being allowed to do a weekly stretching or yoga group, to being able to go on the 3x/weekly leisure walks, whether outside in nice weather, through the hospital, or just up and down the unit hall, to being able to start some strength training or use the treadmill lightly (these usually only came after a long time and/or for PHP patients who were 100% medically stable). 

• What did people do on weekends?

If you’ve been there a little while, you might have a pass to go on-grounds somewhere, or outside hospital grounds for a few hours. As far as being there on the weekends, it was pretty lowkey since there wasn’t any of the weekly programming, groups, etc. Shows and movies were able to be watched on the weekend in the day area. 

Saturday PM snack was always in the day area instead of meal room, during a movie, as a snack exposure. Sunday AM snack also meant we were allowed to have a second cup of coffee and take it into the day area. Very occasionally a tech would go get it from Starbucks and we’d order via our phones, but usually they just made it on the unit (with add-ins optional).

Lots of time-passing stuff on the weekends. Puzzles, coloring, bracelet making, diamond art, listening to music, playing games (board games, cards), collaging, laundry (based on the weekly unit schedule), playing on your own electronics like a Switch, free time in rooms to talk to family or nap during non-observation times, just trying to pass the time between meals and snacks. The type of activity and general vibe on weekends changes based on the patient population.

• Do you get to know your weight?

Teens, I don’t think so. Adults, they will offer to tell you the number, or tell you the trend (and show you a graph without numbers) in your weekly Team meeting (meeting all together with doctor, therapist, dietitian, social worker, nurse), but not more often than that. 

I chose not to know my number, but made the mistake of logging onto MyChart a month into my stay, and saw every single number from the first month, had a major panic attack, had a nurse help me call my husband to have him change the password, and I never asked to know numbers again. However, as a result, this did end up in me knowing just about exactly of where they were shooting to get me restored before discharge, and I’m still not handling that well. But it’s not even an unreasonable amount. 

They’re not trying to just pile weight on your forever and ever, they just want you to at least be restored to a minimally healthy weight for your body and physical functioning. But my brain still hates it, of course. As we all probably understand.

• If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?

IP: 3-4 pounds per week if doing active restoration. PHP doesn’t necessarily always have people on weight restoration, but they do sometimes. I’d assume in PHP it’s closer to 2 pounds a week, but that’s a pure guess based on nothing concrete. 

Regardless, once someone is IP or PHP and they’re at the restores goal, they’ll taper down your exchanges to maintenance level. But they will not hesitate to increase your exchanges if you’re restoring and you stay to plateau or can’t keep the forward momentum going. They also won’t keep increasing so that you exceed the 3-4 pounds per week rate, they very much stick to that plan when restoration is needed.

• What was the average length of stay?

It really varied. For the SEED track, it’s about 3 weeks. For non-SEED, depends on situation, age, etc. I was there 3 months, and don’t recall anyone else who was there with me being there quite as long, but some were there for 2-3 weeks, some for 4-5 weeks, one for a little over 2 months, and it just varies depending on individual needs.

• What was the average age range?

Teens ages 12+. When I was there, patients ranged from 13-70s, but I’d say a majority of of patients were between early/mid-20s to early mid-40/early 50s, but it really varied. At one point, most of us were above 30. At another point, there were only 2-3 of us over 30 and the rest were teens or very early-20s. At one point, no teens. At another point, 5 under 17. It really just varies.

• How do visits/phone calls work?

You can call whenever you have time that’s not programming, and if you have electronics privileges. Everyone starts with some degree of access (see below). To my knowledge, you don’t lose phone privileges outside of maybe losing your own electronics and having to use the unit phone. 

This was very rare. As long as you’re not actively in programming or supposed to be doing something specific, you can probably use your phone for calls. Visiting hours on M-F are from 5-9, and on the weekends from 1-9, I think. Maybe 1-8. 

Visitors can be in your room, or you can get an off-unit pass to go somewhere in the hospital to visit, or even an off-grounds pass on the weekends, if you have someone wanting to take you somewhere (see answer about passes). If visitors are there throughout a lunch/meal time and it’s not a pass for you, they will temporarily have to of off the unit while you eat in the meal room, then can come back to your room.

• What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?

Adults can basically have electronics at all times as long as it’s not in the meal room, during programming, or being used in inappropriate ways (no pictures/video, no FaceTime in the day area, etc.)

Adolescents have phones/tablets locked up until (I think) 4:30 M-F and either 11:30 or 1:30 on the weekend (I’ll have to double check), and have to turn them in before bed (9/9:30). You can have chargers in your room, and there are outlets in the day area if needed. I had my phone, iPad, laptop, kindle, Switch, AirPods, and Beats headphones, all of which require charging)

• For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?

If you get to a certain level (purple table) while inpatient, yeah, but you usually do this in PHP instead. As far as visitors taking you on pass, it’s possible to get on-grounds, and maybe off-grounds passes on the weekends for limited times.

• For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours?

Not a whole lot, honestly. They give you the hospital number, ER info, a hotline to a hospital all-purpose nurse resource to tell you where to go for XYZ if it happens on the weekend (ER, urgent care, etc). 

• What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?

They help you find a team to work with. They have a lot of resources and connections, but since there was no one in my area able to work with me, they helped me get set up with Equip, who started offering their telehealth OP care to adults just earlier this year. 

They have me with a team of a therapist, RD, PA, peer mentor, a family mentor for my husband, and several group offerings each week, which has helped a little with the transition from constant care and programming. I wouldn’t have sought out their help again if not for Sanford helping me figure something out as far as aftercare goes.

• Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?

Some hotels in the area have a discounted rate for hospital patients, whether it’s staying there before or after you’ve been  admitted, or staying somewhere during PHP, but it’s not super affordable even with that. 

They have a lot of connections and may know of resources they share on an individual basis based on what would apply to any one person. Also basic stuff like hotlines, etc. 

• If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)

Not currently applicable.

• Other?

I will not hesitate to recommend this program, and I firmly believe it’s very likely the best place in the country anyone could get help. Especially if you’ve got other medical issues going on, or have been denied from places like ACUTE due to being on government assistance/disability. I really feel like they’re the most comprehensive program, and as long as you are willing to work to make things happen, they will try to work with you to make it possible for your treatment to be successful.

Obviously, treatment is never a “fun “experience, though I did end up having fun by the time I left there. I’ve been home for seven weeks as of the time I’m finally finishing this review, and I’m still very much in the place of post-treatment surrealist limbo, where my real life feels like a performance, and the hospital in Fargo feels like my real life, where I should be. 

I know this is a common thing that ca happen with treatment, but the fact that it happened to me this time around surprised me, with all the obstacles we had to navigate the first two months I was there. It’s a major testament to how awesome this program is. I owe them my life, and I’m really grateful that they assured me before I left, the door is not closed if I ever need help there again. 

I didn’t do the SEED track this time, if I ever go back, that’s what I’ll be doing, and I think it’s amazing that that’s something they offer for those of us who have been previously labeled as treatment resistant, noncompliant, recalcitrant, etc.

NOTE: As others have mentioned, there are cameras in each patient room. As well as in the common areas. This is done for patient safety, and I never once felt like it was being used in appropriately. I do suggest, if this is worry of yours, just be aware that you can do things like changing clothes behind the door of your closet, which can be right out of the view of the camera. I was a little worried about this at first, but I ended up being grateful that they had the surveillance, because they were a couple times scary things happened where I wasn’t able to press my call button, but the nurses were still able to get to me ASAP.

i’m also the community member here who was going to be giving this review from an autism perspective, and while they don’t necessarily specialize in treating autism or divergency, they’re extremely eager to do all they can to figure out what is best on a patient patient basis, so I was able to utilize my noise canceling headphones, wear sunglasses, ear plugs, or use some other accommodations that were specific to me and my needs. I’m so freaking grateful this program does things on an individualized basis. They saved my life.

Are they equipped to treat refeeding syndrome?
do they draw labs? If so, how often?
do they do IVs if necessary?
are they able to monitor and treat refeeding on the unit or are you sent to another area of the hospital to stabilize?

I’m currently on the waitlist (which is 6-7 weeks long). Does anyone know if they allow coffee?

Does anyone know how Sanford is with active SH? I need short-term medical stabilization, but have very active SH right now.

Hi I am on the wait list and pretty scared as I am coming from Minnesota.

I am wondering about how often you are let outside? This is one of my biggest concerns, also I heard you have video cameras in your room is this weird?

Lastly I am also on the waitlist for Princeton and do not know if anyone has had experiences with both places and can compare?

Can you get medically stabilised here?

Hi! I am considering this program to help me with ARFID, a lot of places have turned me down due to low bmi for residential so have been told to go to inpatient. I am really scared and hoping they understand ARFID and Autism. I want to restore weight and be respected. I was also wondering if there are groups and if they let you outdoors? And if people are nice?

Does anyone have any more recent and/or comprehensive reviews for Sanford IP? Keeping this as concise as I can, I have a lot of complex chronic health issues and the only place truly equipped to handle them is ACUTE, but those very same illnesses forced me on SSDI years ago, so they won’t even talk to me due to the Medicare thing, even though I have private insurance through my spouse that covers them completely.

I’ve been stuck trying to do this outpatient for 2.5 years, and just this week got dropped by my team and given an ultimatum to find an inpatient program, even though none exists that can accommodate all my needs. I’m therefore trying to find the one they might be able to at least help with some of them.

I’ve read that they have private rooms here, is that right?

is the care fairly individualized?

do they do any worthwhile mental work, or is it mainly “gain weight and you’re out”?

How long would you estimate is the average length of stay IP?

What is the electronics policy now?

did I read that they have a SEED track? I might be wrong, I’ve contacted so many places this week. But if so, if someone is in that category (I’ve been dealing with this for 20+ years), but doesn’t want to settle for SEED, do you think they could apply the knowledge to regular treatment tracks? (Ignore this if I’m totally off base)

Any of the other questions on the review template would also be extremely appreciated.

Denver ACUTE denied me. I’m really scared. They told me to contact Sanford and River Oaks and I don’t know if they’re capable. Does anyone have a recent review. Thank you.

I’m trying to get in touch with admissions here and having a really difficult time. No one’s around when I call, and they did respond to my first message but not since then. Is this normal? Does anyone know how to get a hold of them?

Does anyone have a recent review for inpatient?

Hi all—

I am currently at Veritas in NC, but will be stepping up to Sanford for med. stabilization/more support, overall.

Does anyone have a recent review, or any info to share??