Dear Faculty, Trainees, and Staff:
I want to begin by saying "Thank you!" to all who sent well wishes, kind thoughts and, of course, the Chair & first husband’s survival boxes and the beautiful flowers on the day of my Investiture. Despite being remote, your presence and support were felt and greatly appreciated. I am deeply honored.
I have discovered that April is a packed month of special recognitions! While I can’t cover them all, I want to highlight several important ones and ask that everyone take a moment to recognize those around you. April is: Black Women’s History Month, Celebrate Diversity Month, National Youth Violence Prevention Week (April 12-16), and World Immunization Week (April 24-30). Administrative Professionals' Day is April 21! All of these are very important, and I encourage kind words and encouragement by all and to all!! I thank each and every one of you for the work and advocacy you do every day.
In the spirit of celebration and thankfulness, I would like to acknowledge the 8 years of dedication and hard work that Dr. Bob Buchanan has given to the MPRC. Dr. Buchanan has decided to step down from the Directorship of the MPRC as of December 31, 2021 and return to his own research. Thank you Bob for your leadership in steering the Center successfully through the many changes of the times! We will be working with Dean Reece to recruit a new Director and will have a transition plan in place.
And finally, Dean Albert Reece has also announced his decision to step down as of June 30, 2022. Serving as the SOM Dean for 17 years, he is looking forward to returning to his own lab. Dean Reece has been supportive of the Department and the MPRC, and we wish him well in his next venture.
Sincerely,
Jill RachBeisel, MD
Chair, Department of Psychiatry
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Congratulations to Jill A. RachBeisel, MD!
The Department of Psychiatry would like to congratulate
Jill A. RachBeisel, MD, for her Investment as The Dr. Irving J. Taylor Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry.
Dr. RachBeisel, please click on the video below or this link here to watch a compilation of messages from your loved ones and colleagues!
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The virtual Investiture ceremony was held on Thursday, March 18, 2021, and can be viewed below.
Congratulations, Dr. RachBeisel!
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THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
DIVERSITY COMMITTEE & INITIATIVES
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The Department of Psychiatry Diversity Committee continues to set the ground work for our upcoming academic year. This past year we focused on gathering necessary information through our Grand Rounds series, as well as individual needs assessments. This summer, we will be releasing a comprehensive summary of the work we have done so far, including best practices and other information to assist members of the Department in continuing the mission to expand our efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We continue to welcome those in the Department who would like to join the Committee and share ideas, experiences, and comments.
All are welcome to visit the hub for updates, information, and resources.
We invite all members of the Department to share stories of success, reflection, and updates on current diversity initiatives directly with Dr. Forrester at aforrest@som.umaryland.edu for inclusion in the newsletter.
Finally, the next Diversity Committee meeting will occur on Thurs., April 22nd at 4pm. All are invited to attend our monthly Zoom meetings here.
Please email Anique Forrester, MD,
at aforrest@som.umaryland.edu for more information.
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Save the Date:
Cultural Diversity Day
The Hidden Trauma of the Addicted Family
Date: Thursday, May 6
Time: 8:oo am-1:30 pm
Hosted by: The University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of
Psychiatry and The University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Psychiatry Residency Program
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REMINDERS & SAVE THE DATES |
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Reminder for Employee Reviews!
The deadline for submission of PDPs for
Non-Exempt employees is April 30th.
The deadline for Exempt PDPs is June 1st.
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Conte Lecture Series - Today!
Maryland Psychiatric Research Center
Date: Wednesday, April 7 at 2 pm
Speaker: Carol Tamminga, MD
Chair, Dept. of Psychiatry
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
Title: “Cognitive Dysfunction and Psychosis in Schizophrenia: Tracking Neurobiology”
Please save the date for May's Conte Lecture Series: May 5 at 1 pm
Details forthcoming!
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The 7th Annual Telemental Health Meeting
Date: Thursday, April 15, 2021 from 12-1:30
Click here for the Webex link, and see below for more details!
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Administrative Professionals' Day: April 21
The Department would like to thank all of its hard-working professionals, especially during the past year.
We could not have adapted and persevered without each and every one of you!
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Research Day
Date: Thursday, May 20, 2021 -- links forthcoming!
Schedule Overview:
9:30 – 11:30 am: Trainee Poster Session and Elevator Speech Contest
12:00 – 1:30 pm: Grand Rounds
Due Dates:
Abstracts: April 23, 2021 (We will send additional instructions on the virtual poster and elevator speech submissions to anyone who submits an abstract).
Posters and Elevator Speech submissions: May 12, 2021
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CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE UPDATES!
The Department has been busy updating its website for your convenience!
Please click on the following links for reference:
Includes recordings of trainings, downloadable presentations, & more
Includes recordings of our presentations
Browse our back issues!
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LET'S GET SOCIAL!
Follow our Department's social media channels!
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The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling
Last month, the Governor issued a proclamation for March 2021 as Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The Maryland Senate also issued their proclamation.
Many thanks to The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling for advocating on behalf of this effort. For more on the Center, please click here.
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A WELCOME TO OUR NEW FACULTY! |
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Kimberly Gordon, MD, DFAPA
Dr. Kim Gordon is a clinical educator and national leader in public sector, adult, and child and adolescent psychiatry. She has dual appointments at Tulane University School of Medicine and University of Maryland School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry.
She is the new Program Director for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, as well as the child psychiatrist for the Child PACT team in the Community Psychiatry Department.
Dr. Gordon is a recipient of the Women’s Wellness through Equity and Leadership WEL 2.0 cohort, sponsored by the WEL Alliance and Physicians Foundation. Dr. Gordon has held numerous leadership positions, including Vice Chair for the Council on Children Adolescents and Their Families of the American Psychiatric Association, and she is serving as an AACAP/AACP (American Academy for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and American Association for Community Psychiatry) representative for the Governing Board of the CALOCUS-CASII.
Dr. Gordon is the immediate past President of the Caucus of Black Psychiatrist, where she contributed to much needed literature on racism in medicine. She was lead author of the Origins of Racism in American Medicine and Psychiatry and helped to write Racism and Psychiatry: Contemporary Issues and Interventions. Dr. Gordon will serve the American Psychiatric Association as Chair of the Membership Committee in 2021-2024, and looks forward to serving the needs of all APA members in advancing health equity services for mental health.
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Soyoung Lee, MD
Dr, Soyoung Lee graduated from the Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine. She worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and trained in the general surgery residency program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
She then transferred to the psychiatry residency program at Georgetown University Hospital to pursue a new career goal as a psychiatrist, and completed her geriatric psychiatry fellowship at Western Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Her clinical role in the Department includes inpatient and outpatient geriatric psychiatry and ECT. She has many research interests in cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms in late life.
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Paul Shepard, PhD
Chefs and scientists share a love of experimentation, hypothesis testing, and an appreciation for refined methodology and technique. For me, these passions turn on a career-spanning interest in the neurobiology of hedonic signaling. Highly conserved and partially amenable to study using animal models, these mechanisms involve dopamine neurons and their reciprocal connections with forebrain targets. This “mélange” of neurocircuitry and its functional role in mental illness has been the focus of my research as a member of the Neuroscience Program at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center.
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The Department of Psychiatry would like to congratulate the following faculty members for their awards at the 2021 School of Medicine
Graduation Ceremony!
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Marissa Flaherty, MD
Student Council Award for Best Clinical Faculty
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Ann Hackman, MD
School of Medicine Graduation Faculty Marshal
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Constance Lacap, DO
School of Medicine Graduation Platform Marshal
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A Welcome to Our Incoming Residents!
Mark Ehrenreich, MD, is delighted to announce an outstanding group of new residents, who will be joining us in July!
Incoming PGY-1 Residents will include:
Allison Aldrich, Laura Avigan, Ryan Cooper, Celia Islam, Valerie Jenkins, Nicole Juszczak, Lisa Kremen, Lani Matthews, Kimia Momeni, Swetha Mummini, Nisha Naik, Francis Pham, Alexandru Sorohan, Boris Tizenberg, Solomiya Tsymbalyuk, Annabel Umeh, and Jennifer Wineke.
Many thanks to Dr. Ehrenreich for leading these efforts, and congratulations on your successful recruitment!
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Todd Gould, MD, and Panos Zanos, PhD, were awarded a patent for their project, “Crystal Forms and Methods of Synthesis of (2R,6R) 0 Hydroxynorketamine and (2S,6S) Hydroxynorketamine.” (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine is a potential treatment for depression, chronic pain, and other neuropsychiatric disorders for which ketamine has been shown effective. The patent describes methods for the synthesis of this molecule, and also reports its unique 3-dimensional structure.
Congratulations, and we look forward to continued updates!
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By way of a newly awarded grant with Eric Weintraub, MD as PI, The Maryland Addiction Consultation Service (MACS) will expand consultation and training services to prescribers across the District of Columbia (D.C.). The grant is for $500,000 for five years.
The MACS team, pictured below, will expand to support primary care and specialty prescribers in addressing patients with substance use disorders and chronic pain management. Services include free phone consultation, resource and referral identification, and education and training opportunities.
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Services will be administered by the UMSOM and is funded by the District of Columbia government, DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration (HRLA), and Pharmaceutical Control Division (PCD). Through a warm-line, UMB’s resources will contribute to HRLA’s objective to provide addiction medicine consultation to providers that are managing complex patients with addiction and behavioral health issues. Many thanks to the MACS team and to Anna Whitney for creating this team photo! |
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Kay Connors, LCSW-C, was recently awarded as PI for the project, "Promoting Positive Outcomes for Infants and Toddlers."
Sharing the FAN (a partnership between PACT, University of Maryland, and the Maryland BHA) will create three cohorts of agencies across the state that serve infants/young children and their families. Cohorts of leadership and practitioners will receive training in the FAN (Facilitating Attuned Interactions) to create a statewide infrastructure, train facilitators and mentors, and build capacities to deepen engagement with high-risk families.
Carole Norris-Shortle, LCSW-C (pictured above), serves as the national trainer for the project and Brijan Fellows, LCSW-C, serves as the state trainer. Norris-Shortle deserves special recognition for her work on this project, and has led clinical care and training in the Taghi Modarressi Center for Infant Study for 38+ years. She is also a national trainer in collaboration with the Erickson Institute in Chicago for the Facilitated Attuned Interaction Approach (a clinical communication and engagement model) and with University of Washington’s N-CAST/Promoting First Relationships. Norris-Shortle is an expert in attachment and play therapies.
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The Department would like to recognize our following doctors who were nominated for Physician of the Year, and who were each accoladed for their work ethic and compassionate nature toward patients. |
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Kimberly Gordon-Achebe, MD, DFAPA, was selected for the class of 2021 WEL 2.0 Scholars Cohort by the American Psychiatric Association's WEL Recruitment Steering Committee.
Among the goals of the Cohort are to build wellness, equity, and leadership skills, and utilize these career development skills for the betterment of our Department.
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Dana Cunningham, PhD, faculty consultant and director of the Prince George’s School Mental Health Initiative, was recently featured in a People Magazine Exclusive for her company, Black Mental Wellness!
Dr. Cunningham is co-founder of Black Mental Wellness, Corp., an organization whose mission is to “provide access to evidence-based information and resources about mental health and behavioral health topics from a Black perspective, to highlight and increase the diversity of mental health professionals, and to decrease the mental health stigma in the Black community.”
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National Conference of State Legislators Highlights
National Center for School Mental Health
Enhancing School Capacity to Support Children’s Mental Health is a recent brief from the National Conference of State Legislators describing the core components of comprehensive school mental health systems, multi-tiered systems of support, system-level strategies, and more. Resources, projects, and recommendations from the National Center for School Mental Health team are included throughout the brief.
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The Eastern Shore Mobile Care Collaborative (ESMCC) was recently mentioned in the Health and Human Services best practice guidelines, Telehealth for Behavioral Health Care, which can be found here.
Eric Weintraub, MD, was further recognized for providing insight to the telebehavioral health guide, which focused on informing health care providers who are just starting out and thinking of incorporating aspects of telebehavioral health in their practice.
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CONFERENCES & PRESENTATIONS |
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Eric Weintraub, MD, will be a highlighted speaker at the upcoming seminar, "Expanding Access to Medication-Based Treatment for OUD in Underserved Rural Areas Utilizing Telehealth," hosted by HRSA. The webinar will
discuss strategies for addressing substance use disorder among vulnerable populations in rural areas with a focus on individuals with Opioid Use Disorder.
Dr. Weintraub also presented at the 2021 Substance Use Disorder Best Practices Conference: Meeting the Moment, Together, hosted by the Office of the Governor and Opioid Operational Command Center to address the ongoing public health crisis. His presentation was entitled, "Prescribing Buprenorphine Through Telemedicine to Underserved Rural Areas." Thank you Dr. Weintraub for all of the work that you do!
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Please consider supporting!
Last issue, we announced Caty Cat Stays Safe During Coronavirus, by the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's Taghi Modarressi Center for Infant Study (CIS).
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Remember to sign up for your vaccination!
We are currently seeing an uptick in COVID cases that include the UK variant, and cases are still being transmitted from staff to staff and from staff to patients. We have subsequently moved to mandatory testing for all unvaccinated staff who are working in our acute areas and are encouraging all faculty, staff, and trainees to be vaccinated.
For the safety of ourselves, families, patients, and community, vaccination and reducing the number of those infected is the only way we will ever get beyond a virus that will keep mutating. The vaccines are effective against the variant strains.
The more who are vaccinated, the safer we are! Sign up now!
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Thanks to all for your contributions, and please email Lisa Cleary at lcleary@som.umaryland.edu with submissions. Our suggested categories include:
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- Clinical trials and studies
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- Faculty appointments
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- Grants and contracts, and collaborative opportunities
- Honors and awards
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