News

On March 21, 2024, Pitt Psychiatry clinician-educator faculty and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) staff, residents, and fellows gathered in the WPH auditorium and classrooms for the Department’s Clinician-Educator Showcase. 

The Showcase is an annual opportunity for clinician-educators to learn about promising clinical innovations and the latest quality improvement initiatives, as well as to connect and network while visiting posters and over lunch. 

Department Chair David Lewis, MD, opened the meeting by recognizing multiple clinician-educator milestones and achievements, including Oommen Mammen, MD, who is transitioning to clinician emeritus status. “Dr. Mammen has made tremendous contributions to multiple units and programs at Western Behavioral Health since joining our faculty 30 years ago,” said Dr. Lewis. “He served as the first integrated psychiatrist at UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital, and as an attending physician at Western Psychiatric Hospital. He additionally cared for patients at the Women’s Intensive Outpatient Program, the WPH Adult Outpatient Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic, and the Eating Disorders Partial Hospital Program. He has trained many residents, fellows, and medical students, with particular effectiveness in bedside teaching.”

Two informative plenary sessions inspired engaging discussion:

• The Great Connector: Education Across Our Behavioral Service Line – Gina Perez, MD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry)
• Perspectives on Leadership for Clinician Educators – David Lewis, MD (Chair, Department of Psychiatry)

Speed Dat(a)ing presenters shared diverse clinical research presentations: 

• Patrick Buckley, MD, MBA (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry) - ChatGPT v. Trainee Performance on OSCEs
• Patrick Frailey, MD (PGY4 psychiatry resident)  - Developing Written Educational Materials for Patients on the Effects of COVID-19 Infection and Paxlovid Use on Clozapine
• Denise Polaski, MD (PGY5 child psychiatry fellow) - Medication Reconciliation Errors Identified by the Pharmacy for Patients Admitted to Western Psychiatric Hospital by the Consultation-Liaison Service
• Daniel Salahuddin, MD, MPH (Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Psychiatry) – Assessing Linkage Points and Opportunities for Behavioral Health Service Integration using a Community Asset Mapping Strategy 
• Jessica Stephens, DO (PGY5 child psychiatry fellow)  – See One, Do One, Teach One: Evaluation of a Novel Trauma Screening Workshop for Psychiatry Residents

Breakout sessions enabled participants to engage in group discussion and learning around the following topics:

• The Voice of Lived Experience: Comprehensive Recovery Services as Model for Integration of Peer Specialists in Teams (Lead organizer: Tushita Mayanil, MBBS [MD])
• Narrative Evaluations of Learners (Lead organizer: Ryan Peterson, MD)
• When the Healer Needs Healing: Addressing the Mental Health Concerns of Physicians in Training (Lead organizer: Robin Valpey, MD)
• “’Taylor’ Your Time: ‘Swift’ Teaching Tips for the Outpatient Setting  (Lead organizer: Tushita Mayanil, MBBS [MD])
• Families in Focus: Expectations, Hopes, and Frustrations (Lead organizer: Eric Golden, MD)
• Life Hack or Note Bloat? Responsible Use of Cut-Paste and Dot Phrases in Clinical Documentation (Lead organizer: James Tew, MD)
• “’But I Only Applied to 70 Programs!’ The New Era of Mentoring Medical Students Going into Psychiatry (Lead organizer: Jody Glance, MD)

Thank you to our poster presenters:

• Annika Binner, MD - RAMP: Development of a Mentorship Program for Medical Students Interested in Psychiatry 
• Erin Driscoll, MD - Characterization of Decision-Type and Outcomes of Consultation for Decision-Making Capacity in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service 
• Lindsey Hospodar, MD - Brexanolone Infusions and the Role of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry – Interdisciplinary Care for Postpartum Women 
• Isabella Kratzer, MD - Reproductive Health and Contraceptive Needs and Perspectives of Inpatient Psychiatric Patients: A Qualitative Needs Assessment 
• Kara Narzikul, MD - “It’s not in My Head:” Diagnostic Challenges in Patients with Suspected Functional Neurological Disorders Across the Lifespan 
• Robert Tessier, MD, MPH - Assessing CL-Psychiatry Rates and Barriers to Recommending Naloxone and Opioid-Agonist Medications for Medically Hospitalized Patients with Opioid Use Disorder 

Thank you to all who participated and attended!