On June 14th, we celebrated Key Day, a long-time tradition and ritual in our department in which we mark the accomplishments and growth of our graduating trainees while also recognizing all those that contribute to our mission. Thank you to all who joined us, and a SPECIAL thank you to all who made it possible and so very seamless. A big congratulations to all our graduates and award winners! Watch the full ceremony here. 

University of Rochester Launches Advanced Certificate in Addictions Counseling Program
In a partnership with the Warner School of Education, the School of Medicine and Dentistry, and our Strong Recovery Program, the university will be launching a new Advanced Certificate Program in Addictions Counseling. This one-year program targets human service professionals with a master’s degree who are interested in obtaining Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor credentials. Applications open September 1st. READ MORE>>>

Sheftall Lab Recruiting Participants for Studies

The Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide is recruiting families for research studies aimed at making a better future for youth and increasing understanding of how we can prevent suicide in youth. The Sheftall Lab is now recruiting parents or legal guardians of children under age 11 for two studies. For further information, please contact the Sheftall Lab at (585) 694-7510 or Sheftall_Lab@URMC.Rochester.edu. READ MORE>>>

Rochester Area Professionals Prioritize Increased Access to Mental Health Care
Michael Scharf, MD was among the mental health professionals that spoke with Rochester Business Journal on what Rochester-area organizations are doing to meet local mental health needs. Dr. Scharf also discusses local efforts to address youth mental health including the opening of the region’s first-ever walk-in mental health crisis clinic alongside Golisano Children's Hospital. READ MORE>>>

SUMMITS Unit Named AMP Innovative Models for Integrated Care Awardee
The Association of Medicine and Psychiatry (AMP) Innovative Models for Integrated Care Award recently highlighted our Substance Use, Infection Treatment and Support (SUMMITS) Unit. This award honors exemplary efforts to develop integrated care services. SUMMITS's work will be showcased at the AMP Annual Meeting in Milwaukee in October. Please join us in congratulating all those involved in this effort! 

Creatively Connecting: Summer Showcase 2023

On June 28th, we held our second annual Creatively Connection: Summer Showcase, highlighting music performances from staff, faculty, and students. Thank you to all those involved in this great event! 

Continuing Education Credits Available from UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence
Last Fall, our UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence held its Taking Action Summit highlighting numerous topics related to substance use disorder, stigma, and health equity in rural communities. We are excited to share that continuing education credits for healthcare providers are now available online at no cost through learning modules. READ MORE>>>

Integrated Care and Medical Family Therapy Intensive Wraps Up
Our Family Therapy Training Program wrapped up its Integrated Care and Medical Family Therapy (MFTI) Annual Intensive on June 9th. This year's training included twenty participants from the university and across the U.S. 2023 was the 30th year the Family Therapy Training Program held this training. 

Bridge Art Gallery Holds Reception for Healing Within Art Show

We're honored to have welcomed community artists, their friends, and families as well as UR Medicine employees in June to our Bridge Art Gallery for its latest exhibit, Healing Within. Thank you to everyone who stopped by! You can see the show by visiting the gallery on the first floor of our Strong Memorial Hospital location or by visiting the gallery website here. 

Honors and Accolades

Segundo Robert-Ibarra Named Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Acute Services Division Chief

We are excited to welcome Segundo Robert-Ibarra, MD into his new role as the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division Chief for Acute Services. In this position, Dr. Robert-Ibarra will be joining the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Executive Leadership Team and will be focusing on clinical operations for our Child Psychiatry acute services. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Robert-Ibarra on this new role! READ MORE>>>

 Oner Gonen Named Medical Director of Interventional Psychiatry

As of July 1, Oner Gonen, MD will be the new Medical Director of Interventional Psychiatry (IP) services. In this role, Dr. Gonen will be growing our IP Services while continuing to deliver patient care at our Chestnut Street location. READ MORE>>>

Ploy (Mongkae) Siripornsawan Named Medical Director of CPEP

Last but not least, Ploy (Mongkae) Siripornsawan, MD has been named the Medical Director of our Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP). Siripornsawan has served as interim CPEP medical director and as a CPEP physician even before that. In her new role, she will continue to work with our dedicated multidisciplinary CPEP leadership and team members in meeting the needs of our patients, health system, and community. READ MORE>>>

Honors and Accolades

Carol Podgorski Appointed to CMS Advisory Panel

Carol Podgorski, PhD, MPH, MS has recently been appointed to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education. This panel advises the CMS on issues related to Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP outreach, education, and understanding. Members include experts from the fields of advocacy, outreach, health communications, disability policy, health economics, health insurers, health IT, patient care, and/or matters of labor and retirement.

Mark Oldham Named President-Elect of American Delirium Society

We are proud to share that Mark Oldham, MD has been named President-elect of The American Delirium Society (ADS). Beginning in mid-2024, Dr. Oldham will be the acting President of ADS. In this role, Dr. Oldham will be leading efforts to foster research, education, advocacy, and implementation of research to minimize the impact of delirium on patients.

Margaret Puelle Named Innovations in Medical Education Awardee

Margaret Puelle, MD, Fellow in our Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship Program, and Tina Chen, MD of the University of Pennsylvania were recently awarded the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry Innovations in Medical Education Award for a new pre-clinical psychiatry curriculum established at U.Penn. 

Mark Your Calendars

The 11^th Annual Brown Bag Summer Series Begins in July

In partnership with the Departments of Medicine, Neurology, and Surgery, the School of Nursing, and the URMC Office of Equity and Inclusion, we invite you to join us for the 11th Annual Brown Bag Summer Series. This year's series will take place every Wednesday at noon and will explore the impact of racism, violence, and erosion of rights on healthcare providers and employees. Participants can attend in person or virtually. READ MORE>>>

Applying the SafeSide Framework for Suicide Prevention in Rural Communities

The last "Applying the SafeSide Framework for Suicide Prevention in Rural Communities" workshop for 2023 will take place on July 25th. If you missed March and May's workshops, be sure to sign up here. 

June Psychiatry Publications 

• Lisa Panisch, Iwona Juskiewicz, Catherine Cerulli, JD, PhD, Marsha Wittink, MD, MBE, and Ellen Poleshuck, PhD alongside Hugh Crean, PhD of the School of Nursing, published a study examining the interaction between violence exposure and treatment type after psychosocial intervention.
• Ian Cero, PhD and Peter Wyman, PhD, alongside Munmun De Choudhury, PhD of Georgia Tech, published a paper discussing the potential of interventions to modify social networks to prevent deaths by suicide. 
• Tanya Tran, PhD authored a study characterizing trajectories of negative symptoms among those at high risk for psychosis as well as differences based on deficit syndrome, persistence, and transition status.
• Jason Alas, Mia Young, Lyvia Bertolace, MD, Iwona Grzela-Juskiewicz, MD, Yonaton Abrham, Brian Keane, PhD, and Steven Silverstein, PhD were coauthors on a study examining retinal and optic nerve changes after football-related concussions and head impacts.
• Anton Porsteinsson, MD was a coauthor on a trial of methylphenidate's ability to treat apathy among those with Alzheimer's Disease. 
• Steven Silverstein, PhD was a coauthor of a paper providing guidance on the organization and implementation of EEG studies.
• Thomas O'Connor, PhD was a coauthor of a study examining levels of gadolinium, a toxic rare earth element, among mothers after exposure to gadolinium chelates prior to pregnancy.
• Anton Porsteinsson, MD was a coauthor on a paper in CTAD Task Force Paper on the possibility of blood biomarkers as a less burden-intensive entry criteria and drug monitoring tool in clinical trials for Alzheimer's Disease.
• Thomas O'Connor, PhD was a co-author of a study examining the relationship between exposure to polyfluoroalkyl substances in gestation, BMIs in early childhood, and the risk of obesity among children and adolescents.
• Steven Silverstein, PhD was a coauthor on a paper examining the relationships between depression and reinforcement learning.

Upcoming Events

• Jul. 15: Rochester Pride Parade and Festival
• Jul. 19: DICE Summer Brown Bag Series- Strategies for Healing: Helping Ourselves to Help Others
• Jul. 25: SafeSide Prevention Workshop for Service Providers in Rural Communities
• Jul. 26: DICE Summer Brown Bag Series- The Politicization of our Humanity: A State of the Union for the Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Expansive Community
• Jul. 27: Opioid Overdose Prevention Training
• Aug. 2: DICE Summer Brown Bag Series- Advocacy - Taking Action To Create Change