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Memorial Sloan Kettering Psychiatrist Erik Bengtsen

Erik Bengtsen, MD

Psychiatrist

4.9 | 79 reviews

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Coping with cancer

My Specialties

  • Psychiatry and psychiatric care
  • Psychopharmacologic treatment
  • Supportive psychotherapy
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Dr. Bengtsen's Office Information
Languages: English
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Get to Know Me

I am a board-certified psychiatrist with additional board certification in consultation-liaison psychiatry. My clinical work, teaching, and research interests reflect a longstanding commitment to meeting the psychiatric needs of people with cancer, with the goal of reducing their distress and improving their quality of life.

I serve as the psychiatric liaison to the Colorectal Cancer Disease Management Team. In this role, I help people manage symptoms such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, cognitive changes, and sleep disturbances while considering the psychological and biological impact of their clinical and personal situations, cancer treatments, and other medications.

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My collaborative research interests have focused on the psychiatric needs of early onset colorectal cancer patients, and I look forward to further examining the role of inflammation and its association with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

What I Do at MSK

A psychiatrist (sy-KY-uh-trist) is a doctor with special training in mental, emotional, and behavioral health. They can prescribe medication to help with these conditions.

  • Assistant Attending Psychiatrist
  • Director of Clinical Operations, Manhattan Ambulatory Sites
  • Assistant Director, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Training Program
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Coping with cancer
  • Adjustment disorders
  • Coping with cancer treatment
  • Delirium
  • Attentional Disorders
  • Demoralization
  • Existential distress
  • Fatigue
  • Fear
  • Mood changes
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Psychotic disorders
  • Sleep problems
  • Worry

My Specialties

  • Psychiatry and psychiatric care
  • Psychopharmacologic treatment
  • Supportive psychotherapy
  • Meaning-centered psychotherapy (MCP)
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL

Residencies

  • Mount Sinai Beth Israel

Fellowships

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell Medical College

Board Certifications

  • Psychiatry and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Metroplus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

City Employee Health Plans (Gold and Gold Care)

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

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Contact and Location

Dr. Bengtsen sees patients at one location.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Rockefeller Outpatient Pavilion
160 East 53rd Street New York NY 10022
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Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

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Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Patient Reviews

Your trust is our main concern

We strive to keep reviews trustworthy, honest and fair. Learn more about our patient experience reviews.

4.9 79 reviews

  • 4.9 Provider's Explanations Easy to Understand
  • 4.9 Trusts Provider with Care
  • 4.9 Provider Listened Carefully
  • 4.9 Likelihood of Recommending Provider
Jan 31, 2025

I have been seeing Dr. Bengtsen since my diagnosis of colorectal cancer in 2020. He has been a critical part of my care team. He is kind, understanding and compassionate. I highly recommend him.

Jan 27, 2025

Great listener great person great doctor we need more people or doctors great listeners such as himself thank you for listening and giving me great advice and the will to live

Jan 24, 2025

Was a bit anxious to be referred to a psychiatrist, but ultimately happy to have discussed my anxiety & difficulty sleeping with Dr B.

Jan 16, 2025

From the moment I met Dr. Bengtsen, I felt a genuine sense of care and compassion. Dr. Bengtsen takes the time to listen without judgment and provides thoughtful insights that have helped me navigate through some of the toughest moments in my life. His approach is both professional and deeply empathetic, making me feel understood and supported. I am incredibly grateful for his expertise and the positive impact he has had on my mental health. If you're looking for a psychiatrist who is not only skilled but also truly kind-hearted, I highly recommend Dr. Bengtsen.

Jan 14, 2025

pleasant and helpful

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Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Erik Bengtsen discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at ecoi@mskcc.org.


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