Alpert JFS opens TMS center in West Palm Beach

Alpert Jewish Family Service has opened the Neil S. Hirsch TMS Center in West Palm Beach, expanding access to FDA-cleared, non-invasive brain stimulation for adults with depression, anxiety and OCD. The nonprofit says the center will accept most insurance and offer sliding-scale pricing, with a ribbon cutting set for Oct. 5.

Why it matters: - The new center gives Palm Beach County adults another option for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. - TMS can help patients who have not improved enough with medication and psychotherapy. - Alpert JFS says the center is designed to reduce cost barriers through insurance coverage and a sliding fee scale.

What happened: - Alpert Jewish Family Service opened the Neil S. Hirsch TMS Center in West Palm Beach. - The center expands access to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, an FDA-cleared, non-invasive treatment. - The center will serve adults across the Palm Beaches. - Alpert JFS will host a ribbon cutting on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at 5841 Corporate Way, Suite 200, in West Palm Beach. - Patients interested in TMS can call 561-713-1892.

The details: - TMS uses brief, focused magnetic pulses to stimulate brain areas tied to mood regulation. - The treatment does not require surgery, anesthesia or systemic medication. - Patients stay awake and alert during each session. - A full course typically includes about 36 sessions over roughly six weeks. - Patients can drive themselves to and from treatment. - The FDA cleared TMS for depression in 2008, for depression with co-occurring anxiety in 2022, and for OCD in 2022 as an adjunct to medication. - Published studies cited in the release found that 50% to 66% of patients with treatment-resistant depression see meaningful symptom reduction, and about one-third reach full remission. - TMS differs from electroconvulsive therapy because it does not require sedation or anesthesia and is not associated with the memory loss that can occur with ECT. - The most common side effect is mild discomfort at or near the treatment site, and that discomfort typically lessens after the first week. - The center is part of Alpert JFS' broader mental health continuum, giving patients access to counseling, support groups and case management services. - Most insurance is accepted, and a sliding fee scale is available. - The Neil S. Hirsch TMS Center was funded by a donation from the Neil S. Hirsch Foundation through the Foundation for the Advancement of Clinical TMS. - Alpert JFS is the third nonprofit in the country to receive a grant of this kind from the Foundation for the Advancement of Clinical TMS. - Alpert JFS was founded in 1974 and says it serves more than 12,000 people annually with more than 100 professionals. - The organization also provides counseling, psychiatric services, residential programs for adults with disabilities, food security programs, emergency financial assistance and services for seniors and Holocaust survivors. - The full report and services information are available at Alpert JFS.

Between the lines: - The opening signals a push to make a specialized depression treatment more available locally, not just in major academic or hospital systems. - By housing TMS alongside counseling, psychiatry, food support and emergency services, Alpert JFS is positioning mental health care as part of a wider social-services network. - The foundation-backed grant adds credibility and may help lower the barrier for other nonprofits considering similar programs.

What's next: - Alpert JFS will mark the opening with a public ribbon cutting in early October. - The center is expected to begin taking patients immediately as referrals and scheduling move forward. - The nonprofit is likely to lean on its existing service network to connect more patients to TMS and related care.

The bottom line: - Alpert JFS is adding a higher-tech treatment option to a broad community-care model, aiming to reach patients whose symptoms have not responded to standard therapy.