Southwell facility in Adel introduces new medical director

ADEL — The Sylvia Barr Center, a 12-bed geriatric psychiatric facility located within Southwell Medical in Adel, recently announced the arrival of its new medical director, Dr. Abhinav “Abhi” Saxena.

Saxena was raised in Macon and attended the University of Georgia before completing medical school at Mercer University. He trained in psychiatry at Vanderbilt University, where he was chief resident his final year. He later completed his Master of Business Administration degree, also from Mercer University.

Most recently, Saxena served as the medical director of hospital services for Vanderbilt Behavioral Health.

“Dr. Saxena brings 10 years of clinical and leadership experience, as well as a wealth of knowledge in diagnosing and treating behavioral health conditions,” Amanda Ramshead, director of Behavioral Health Services for Southwell, said. “He has a passion for community service and outreach. We are so excited to have him join our team to serve our patients and community as the medical director of The Sylvia Barr Center and Southwell Behavioral Health Services.”

Southwell Medical also announced that the Sylvia Barr Center will once again accept patients after a temporary closure.

Due to the spike of COVID-19 patients at Tift Regional Medical Center, the hospital chose to temporarily close the center.

“We converted this unit to administer life-saving monoclonal antibody infusions,” Jay Carmichael, chief operating officer for Southwell Medical, said. “This allowed patients in our service area to have convenient and local access to receive an infusion in a timely manner.

“We have recently seen a decrease in COVID-19 cases, and feel we can safely re-open The Sylvia Barr Center at this point. We are happy to report that the center is now back open and accepting patients.”

Southwell Medical will continue to offer the antibody infusions in another area of the hospital.

The Sylvia Barr Center provides specialized behavioral health services to adults who are ages 55 and older. It is located within Southwell Medical in Adel.

“When an elderly individual’s behavior becomes disruptive and significantly affects his or her ability to care for basic personal needs, an increased level of care may be needed,” Ramshead said. “Symptoms may include memory loss, mood disturbances, anxiety, difficulty coping with losses and transitions, or behavioral conditions that interfere with care at home, or in a long-term care setting.

“Treatments are covered by most health insurance providers and our average length of stay is between 7 and 14 days. We will work with you to determine which option is best for each patient.”

For more information about The Sylvia Barr Center or to make a referral, call (229) 896-8100 or visit www.mysouthwell.com/southwell-medical-sylvia-barr-center/.