The Women’s Inpatient Unit at the Psychiatric Research Institute (PRI), known as the 5-North Unit, is devoted solely to the care of women patients and offers a therapy-rich environment with a focus on perinatal populations. The experienced staff is available 24 hours a day to provide patients with state-of-the-art care and assistance with any psychiatric and medical concerns they might have.
About the Care We Offer
This unique women’s inpatient unit is tailored to meet the needs of patients with acute mental illness with a focus on women who are pregnant or postpartum. The only one of its kind in Arkansas, the 10-bed unit was developed to treat conditions such as severe depression and anxiety that have been triggered by events such as trauma, pregnancy and life transitions. Patients meet one-on-one daily with the treatment team including a psychiatrist specialized in women’s mental health, social work, and nursing staff.
Care for New Mothers
Within an academic medical center, access to obstetrical care and lactation support occurs daily. We offer expanded visitation hours and allow new mothers to nurse their infants, unlike other facilities. The physicians working on the unit are trained in reproductive psychiatry that will help them address the needs of individuals dealing with sudden physical and hormonal changes. The inpatient unit environment provides a warm, secure and friendly approach to treatment.
Special consideration is given to the dietary requirements of new mothers. Therapy sessions are held around the extended sleep schedules of mothers and newborns.
A Holistic Approach
Both group and individual therapy are available to the patients on the unit, with yoga and other activity therapies to offer a holistic approach to healing. From depression and trauma to anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, the women’s inpatient unit is well-equipped to accommodate this very important and typically underserved portion of our population.
Provider
Dr. Jessica Coker, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics/Gynecology, who specializes in supporting women’s mental health. She helps people facing a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including mood disorders, psychosis, and psychiatric emergencies. Her goal is to provide thoughtful, personalized care during some of life’s most vulnerable moments- during pregnancy or postpartum period.
Dr. Coker currently serves as the Medical Director of the Inpatient Unit within the Women’s Mental Health Program and as the Chief of Staff for the UAMS Health System. In these roles, she drives quality improvement initiatives aimed at strengthening systems of care for psychiatric patients.
Dr. Coker sees patients exclusively as the primary attending on the Women’s Inpatient Unit.
As the Program Director of the Reproductive Psychiatry Fellowship, Dr. Coker is dedicated to training and mentoring the next generation of specialists in this emerging and vital field.
In addition to her clinical and teaching responsibilities, Dr. Coker is actively involved in research. She has been awarded multiple grants focusing on substance use disorders during the perinatal period, working with a national network including the NIH.
Patient Type – Adults
Make an Appointment with Dr. Coker
New patients can make an appointment by contacting the clinic directly.
Existing patients also have the option of requesting an appointment online through UAMS Health MyChart.