Psychiatry Central
Issue 10 | February 3, 2020
A Letter from the Chair
Dear Faculty, Trainees, and Staff:

It is with mixed emotions that I announce the retirement of our beloved David Mallott, MD (pictured right). After 34 years with the Department of Psychiatry and 24 years as Director of the Office of Medical Education for the School of Medicine, Dr. Mallott has made the decision to step down from his formal position and limit himself to a select menu of enjoyable activities!

It is ironic that on Dr. Mallott’s first day on the job -- July 1, 1986, he was indeed my supervising unit attending on the old 3F&G in the IPHB. His expansive knowledge of human behavior and disease, along with his down-to-earth sense of humor, was a gentle introduction to the world of academic psychiatry. David, which I soon called him, went on to teach and guide the majority of our current faculty -- in addition to the endless numbers of residents and medical students over his many years. I could go on to list the numerous awards, invited talks, and exhaustive service that he has given to our University. But somehow all of this doesn’t really sum up who and what David has been to us. So while the old IPHB no longer stands and the halls no longer echo with David’s footsteps, he has managed to leave his generous mark on my heart and many of those in the Department and on campus. Dr. Mallott will be staying on as volunteer faculty and continuing to teach and supervise! Congratulations David!

Finally, I would also like to highlight the ongoing behind-the-scenes work as I focus on Department priorities, which includes our mission and values. To that end, I have circulated a very brief faculty survey to gather your input in a few key areas.

The survey should take less than five minutes, and I would really appreciate your experience and input. It is important! I hope to gather all input by February 11 .

Thank you all, and enjoy this issue of Psychiatry Central.

Sincerely,

Jill RachBeisel, MD
Interim Chair, Department of Psychiatry
IN MEMORIAM
Patti Amsel (née Michalek), MSW
It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Patti Amsel (née Michalek), MSW . Patti was a long-time faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry from the mid 80s, and was instrumental in providing family and group supervision for trainees and leadership to our Psychiatric Social Work Team as a licensed social worker. Later, she joined the Maryland Group Faculty Practice of our Department and provided clinical care to members of our campus for more than 25 years.

A celebration of Patti's life will be held on Sunday, March 1, at 3:00 pm at Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc., off of 8900 Reisterstown Road. If you would like to send any sentiments, Patti's family would like to request the omission of flowers and that any contributions in her memory be sent to The John Fetting Fund For Breast Cancer Prevention, P.O. Box 17029, Baltimore, MD 21297. Many thanks to Patti for her devoted commitment to the Department, and our thoughts go to her loved ones at this time.
GRANTS
Deanna Kelly, PharmD, BCPP
Deanna Kelly, PharmD, BCPP , was recently awarded an R01 by the National Institute of Mental Health for her grant, entitled "A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Telementoring Program, Project ECHO, to Increase Clozapine Prescribing."

This is a four-year, $3,078,526 study, which will measure changes in clozapine prescribing outcomes and test whether prescriber self-reported competence mediates change in prescribing behavior. Prescribing outcomes in underserved African American patients will also be examined.

Congratulations, Dr. Kelly, and we look forward to updates on this esteemed grant. Thank you for all of your hard work for the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC) and Department of Psychiatry!
Extension of HealthySteps

HealthySteps , a collaboration with Family Medicine and the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, recently received an extension grant for the interdisciplinary pediatric primary care program that teaches and encourages health, well-being, and school readiness of babies and toddlers. HealthySteps focuses on working closely with families in low-income communities.

KUDOS to Sarah Edwards, DO , the Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services, and Kay Connors, LCSW-C,  Executive Director, Taghi Modaressi Center for Infant Study -- thank you for helping to lead this important collaboration, and many thanks to the HealthySteps team for all that you do! 

COLLABORATIONS
Overcoming Addiction and the
Continual Rise of Telemedicine

The Community Health Resources Commission and Maryland Rural Health Association recently produced the video, "Jessica's Story. "

The segment follows Jessica's journey as she explains her former substance use disorders and the life-saving treatments she received through telemedicine, a pioneering model that allows doctors to virtually connect with patients and prescribe medication through video conferencing platforms. She credits the program with her recovery -- and now works as a peer counselor to help others get healthy. In the video, Eric Weintraub, MD , demonstrates a telemedicine meeting, and shows how patients are able to connect one-on-one with their doctors.

Prior to telemedicine, individuals such as Jessica would have had to travel more than 120 miles per day to receive medication and treatment in rural areas such as Garrett County. Now, telemedicine allows patients to get the help that they need in an accessible manner.

Jessica ultimately credits telemedicine as saving her life -- and she now works as a Peer Counselor to help others and to give back to those in need.

Thanks to the Division of Addiction Research and Treatment for your work, and thanks also for sharing this video!
EVENTS
On behalf of the Department and Division of Addiction Research and Treatment, Drs. Christopher Welsh , Annabelle (Mimi) Belcher , and Eric Weintraub ; and Kelly Coble, MSW , attended the SAMHSA-funded Opioid Response Network event, "Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Correctional Settings."

The conference gathered states and local municipalities interested in implementing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) into correctional facilities, and highlighted Rhode Island -- one of the first Departments of Correction that incorporated Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) system-wide.

Thank you for serving as representatives on behalf of the Department!
PRESENTATIONS & TRAININGS
National Association of School Psychologists
Annual Conference
Kristin Scardamalia, PhD (left) , will be leading two presentations at the National Association of School Psychologists annual conference that will be held in Baltimore this month. She will present data from recent interviews with School Resource Officers (SROs) and lead a participant conversation on the ethical considerations for school psychologists working with SROs and other school-based law enforcement officers. In addition, Dr. Scardamalia will present results from a pilot study of modularized social emotional learning curriculum designed to meet with the unique needs of the classroom environment.

Cindy M. Schaeffer, PhD (above, right) , will present “PA179 Promoting School Safety: A Multi-tiered Mental Health Crisis Intervention.” This presentation will describe the implementation of a multi-tiered comprehensive preventive intervention to promote school safety and research findings from a two-year randomized controlled trial, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Comprehensive School Safety Initiative.

Thank you for presenting your work, Drs. Scardamalia and Schaeffer!
IN THE PRESS
Deanna L. Kelly, PharmD, BCPP , was recently quoted in Psychiatric News by the American Psychiatric Association in the article, "Women With Schizophrenia Only Half as Likely to Receive Mammograms."

The article discusses findings that women with schizophrenia are half as likely to receive mammograms, and that primary care providers and psychiatrists should prioritize cancer screenings for those with mental illnesses. Dr. Kelly noted that rates of breast cancer are higher in women with schizophrenia, and discussed that there are preliminary evidence that some antipsychotics may increase risk for breast cancer.

Additionally, Dr. Kelly was quoted in Woman's Day in the article, "Finding Peace of Mind," which discusses the challenges that women may go through during the middle of their life, which may affect hormone levels and potentially increase susceptibility to mental illness, including depression and even schizophrenia. The article discusses various treatment options, and the importance of mental health and discussions. For the full read, click here !
PUBLICATIONS
Ashley Fenton, DNP, CRNP, LCSW-C ; Nurse Practitioner at the Integrated Care Clinic at the Walter P. Carter Center, recently published " A 12-Week Evidence-Based Education Project to Reduce Cardiovascular and Metabolic Risk in Adults With Serious Mental Illness in the Integrated Care Setting " in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association .

The article highlights the important role that primary care providers play in providing health education to patients with Severe Mental Illness. As detailed in this article, a 12-week diabetes prevention program was integrated into a primary care behavioral setting, and outcomes were reported positively -- with a reduction in weight, waist circumference, and more.
Save-the-Dates!
February 20, 2020
22nd Annual Rachel Gundry Lecture
12:00-1:30 pm
(see email calendar invite)


March 5, 2020
6th Annual Telemental Health Meeting
Telebehavioral 2020: Current and Future Practice (see emailed flyer)

March 12, 2020
Faculty Meeting
12:00-1:30 pm (see email calendar invite)


April 2, 2020
Cultural Diversity Day
8:00 am-1:00 pm (see emailed flyer)
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