Alsana Introduces Newly Promoted Medical Director Michael Schachter, MD

In his new role, Dr. Schachter will be responsible for supporting Alsana's Medical Teams for all virtual and in-person eating disorder treatment programs and ensuring consistent quality of medical care provided through the Adaptive Care Model® 's Medical Dimension.

ST. LOUIS, April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alsana, an eating disorder treatment provider and community, announced that Michael Schachter, MD will serve as its new Medical Director, directly reporting to eating disorder expert, Margherita Mascolo, MD, CEDS-S, Alsana's Chief Medical Officer (CMO).  Dr. Schachter has served as the Medical Attending for Alsana's St. Louis Residential Program since February, 2020.

"I am happy and proud to see Michael enter this new leadership role," said Mascolo, who has been treating eating disorder clients for 14 years. "He is a true servant leader who understands the unique challenges our clients face and the importance of providing evidence-based treatment with compassion and loving-directness."

In his new role as Medical Director, Schachter will provide leadership and guidance for Alsana's Medical Teams nationwide so they can provide the highest quality, safest medical care possible. More specifically, he will work with physicians, nursing staff, and leadership to ensure that medical care is comprehensive, cohesive, and compassionate. Schachter will also design protocols and guidelines that enable care teams to provide individualized care to meet clients' unique needs. 

The Medical Dimension of Alsana's Adaptive Care Model®  is led by Margherita Mascolo, MD, CEDS-S, and designed to build clients' health resilience. "Our goal is to help clients establish a complete foundation for lasting recovery from eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions," said Mascolo. The Medical Dimension is led by a multi-disciplinary team of medical professionals working in concert with Nutrition, Therapeutic, Relational, and Movement Dimensions so clients can rebuild healthy lives, one step at a time.

Schachter's passion for medicine began early and was sparked by his father, a pediatrician.  "I feel privileged that I get to do work that I enjoy and find very meaningful," Schachter said. "Our teams' approach to treatment involves looking at clients' medical, social, nutritional, and emotional needs. At Alsana, we don't just treat illnesses; we treat each client based on their unique challenges. My priority is to keep the medical component unified across the whole organization." 

Alsana is one of few eating disorder treatment providers offering care for ED-DMT1 ("diabulimia") clients. Schachter has been instrumental in the implementation and oversight of the ED-DMT1 program since its inception in 2020 and says he has found the experience to be especially rewarding. "Helping manage diabetes is a team effort.  I have been working with this population for many years and still feel privileged every time a patient and their family allow me to participate in their recovery process," Schachter said.

"With any chronic illness, there are ups and downs.  I'm always there for clients and their families when they struggle, and I am grateful for the times I get to share in their successes," Schachter continued. "While eating disorders are common, they are still underrepresented in the medical literature.  Alsana is a leader in providing world-class medical care. My personal mission and hope are to continue to incorporate the most up-to-date research in this field into our treatment, especially our Diabulimia program."

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About Alsana®

Alsana is an eating recovery community and treatment provider with in-person Residential and PHP/IOP programs in Alabama (Birmingham and Huntsville), California (Monterey, Santa Barbara, Westlake Village, and Thousand Oaks), and Missouri (St. Louis), and Virtual PHP/IOP offerings across the United States. Their approach to eating disorder treatment is compassionate, evidence-based, and designed in alignment with the Adaptive Care Model®. This holistic method seeks to address healing in all areas of clients' lives by integrating medical, nutritional, and therapeutic care with movement and relational therapies. Alsana serves adult clients of all genders and sexual identities struggling with a broad spectrum of eating, feeding, and co-occurring disorders. Alsana's programs accommodate the unique needs of vegan clients and clients struggling with ED-DMT1, also known as "diabulimia." Learn more at alsana.com or visit alsanareviews.com. Follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

SOURCE Alsana