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Dear Faculty, Trainees, and Staff,
Last week’s rulings from the Supreme Court striking down race-based affirmative action in college admissions shattered a 40-year precedent—and brings to the forefront a debate on how best to address racial disparities and promote racial justice.
The most important thing I can say as Department Chair is to reiterate my commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in our workplace. Our Department counts equity and justice among its core values. No Supreme Court verdict will ever change that.
Of course, part of that means nurturing the next generation of leaders—which is why we’re so proud and excited for the sixteen newly certified psychiatrists from our residency program who graduated in our Department of Psychiatry Certificate Ceremony held on June 15.
Congratulations to our fourth-year and third-year fast-tracking residents on completion of a program that has trained them in a variety of diverse settings!
Under the leadership of our Residency Program Director Dr. Mark Ehrenreich, and the supervision and that of a number of other expert faculty members, these graduates have learned to treat every patient as an individual deserving of individualized treatment plans, accounting for a full range of biological, psychological, and social issues that impact their health.
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Pictured left to right: Dr. Hannah Paulding, M.D., Dr. Rebecca Chandler, M.D., Dr. Chelsea Cosner, M.D., Dr. Eryn Nagel, M.D., Dr. Jamie Lee, M.D., Dr. Puja Sheth, M.D., Dr. Maria Puzanov, M.D., Dr. Anna Zeira, M.D., Dr. Isabelle Seto, M.D., Dr. Allison Beckman, M.D., Dr. Tripti Soni, M.D., Dr. Kelly Pham, M.D., Dr. Shannon Bush, M.D., Dr. Christina Jacob, M.D., and Dr. Janet Karanja, M.D.
I want to thank each of these graduates for giving us the privilege of being involved in their educations We are incredibly excited for the contributions they will bring to the field of psychiatry!
Sincerely,
Jill A. RachBeisel, MD
Dr. Irving J. Taylor Associate Professor and Chair, Department
of Psychiatry
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We received a note from the mother of a patient last month, highlighting the excellent work of two of our psychiatry fellows, Dr. Ariel James (left) and Dr. Solomiya Tsymbalyuk (right):
"I wanted to take some time to share a positive experience with two members of your staff recently. My son suffered dental trauma at school, and we rushed him to University of Maryland Medical Center. I came across Dr. Ariel James and her colleague Dr. Solomiya Tsymbalyuk. Dr. James saw a mother in panic because my son was bleeding from the mouth and obviously upset. She asked us what she could do to help, and she walked us to the Pediatric ED.
Both doctors were so patient and showed genuine empathy in taking us to where we needed to go! Dr. James then walked with me to registration and ensured we were in the right place. Just a great experience, for which I am very grateful."
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Congratulations to This Year's Winners of the FPI Spirit of Excellence Award! | |
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On June 9, FPI recognized its partners in Psychiatry with the FPI Spirit of Excellence Award for the fiscal year of 2022.
As Alfreda Johnson, Director of Human Resources, put it:
"The pursuit of excellence has no end when a team of dedicated individuals make a commitment to act as one... the sky's the limit. Thank you for joining us in our mission to deliver compassionate, respectful, and excellent care to those we serve. You make each day something we can all be proud of, and we truly appreciate all you do!"
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The Department of Psychiatry Diversity Committee | |
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The Diversity Committee wants to hear directly from you. We are looking to highlight individual and group achievements over the course of each academic year. Feel free to submit your accomplishments and successes as they relate to DEI directly to Dr. Forrester at aforrest@som.umaryland.edu.
The Diversity Committee's Year in Review meeting will be held on Thursday, July 20. You can join the Zoom meeting here.
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The 10th Anniversary Maryland Conference on Problem Gambling
On Friday, June 16, 400 attendees, including national and local experts as well as members of the Maryland Center for Excellence on Problem Gambling, gathered for the 10th Anniversary Maryland Conference on Problem Gambling. Communications Manager Mike Kafes kicked off the event with some housekeeping notes while Director of External Affairs Rob White and Program Director Mary Drexler gave opening and welcome remarks. Dr. Anique Forrester presented in the afternoon, in a lecture titled "Approaching Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice through Creating Sustainable Organizational Change: A Focus on Problem Gambling."
The agenda also included courageous testimony from one student from University of Maryland College Park on his own struggles with addiction to sports betting, and how the Center's work has helped many like him to treat their addictions.
On July 26-29, the National Conference on Problem Gambling will be held in D.C.. Now in its 37th iteration, the conference is the oldest and largest annual conference that brings together people from all facets of healthcare, research, government, and many segments of the gambling industry. With top-notch national and international experts as speakers, as well as those who work in local and state levels, the conference is a unique resource for everyone who works in these fields, as well as those in recovery and concerned others. The conference provides detailed and in-depth knowledge and cross-training opportunities. To RSVP, click here.
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We are excited to announce that registration is open for the 2023 Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health!
This conference will be held in person in New Orleans, LA from December 5-7. Led by Sylvia McCree-Huntley, EdD, and the National Center for School Mental Health team, this conference features keynote and plenary speakers, conference and intensive training sessions, symposia, a poster session, and more!
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The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling was just awarded a six-year, $30 million grant from the Maryland Department of Health to continue and expand on its work in promoting healthy and informed choices regarding gambling and problem gambling. This grant comes after a months-long evaluation by the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability that assessed the Center's efficiency and effectiveness in its mission.
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In June our Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/National Center for School Mental health team won a four-year, $4 million contract from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to work with states and school districts across the country to provide. technical assistance, resources, and support.
The project will be kicked off this month. Congratulations to PI Dr. Jill Bohnenkamp, Co-I Dr. Sharon Hoover, Do-I Dr. Nancy Lever, Project Manager Shawn Orenstein, and a shout-out to our amazing business and grant team!
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In ABC News, Dr. Beshaun Davis explains why it's getting more difficult to determine whether or not recent violent outbursts are being caused by mental health problems or political extremism. To see his interview, click here.
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Dr. Madeline Marks appeared on Fox 45 to mark PTSD month by explaining the triggers for the condition and some available treatments.
To view her appearance, click here.
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Great News: The State of Maryland Is Now Paying You to Save
On July 1, 2023, the state of Maryland reinstated the highly popular match program, providing an opportunity for even greater retirement savings.
For every dollar you defer or contribute, the state will contribute a dollar on your behalf, up to a maximum of $600 each fiscal year.
Members of the Maryland State Employees' Pension System can take advantage of this by contributing to any USM Supplemental Retirement Account (SRA) administered by TIAA, Fidelity, or MSRP Nationwide.
Please note: Those enrolled in the Teacher Pension, LEOPS, or Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) are not eligible.
If you meet the eligibility criteria but are not currently contributing to the SRA, we strongly encourage you to consider participating. To sign up, go to the Supplemental Retirement Account website to access the procedures and forms.
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