Division of Behavioral Medicine faculty work with UT Health San Antonio to provide the psychological component for patient treatment via integration with primary care and pre-surgical screening.
Division psychologists are integrated within the UT Health San Antonio primary care clinics. As part of the clinical services that UT Health provides, Behavioral Medicine faculty work with patients dealing with physical health challenges, such as weight management, inactivity, diabetes, irritable bowel, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The Division of Behavioral Medicine collaborates with medical care providers to perform pre-surgical screenings for a number of procedures. These include assessments for weight loss surgery through the UT Health San Antonio/Christus Weight Loss Center and for implants for pain management through the UT Health San Antonio Pain Consultants Service. The screenings culminate in specific recommendations regarding psychosocial suitability for the procedure as well as referral for any relevant psychological or psychiatric care.
Psychologists in the Division of Behavioral Medicine are also integrated with pain management through the UT Health Pain Consultants Service. Aside from completing pre-surgical screenings for implantable pain management technologies (e.g., spinal cord stimulators, intrathecal morphine pumps), our psychologists also train pain management fellows in non-pharmacological pain management techniques, help guide long-term assessment of Pain Consultants patients, and provide short- and long-term care for pain sufferers who need psychosocial interventions to address pain and complicating conditions.