Congratulations to UPMC Award for Commitment to Excellence in Service (ACES) Honoree Eric Golden, MD
Please join us in congratulating Eric Golden, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), who has received a 2025 UPMC Award for Commitment to Excellence in Service (ACES). The prestigious award, received by less than 1% of UPMC staff annually, honors individuals who routinely go above and beyond.
Dr. Golden is medical director of PsychCare+/Network Admissions, overseeing the referral of patients from network hospitals to UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). In this role, he currently manages WPH admissions; admissions facilitation for all of UPMC’s Behavioral Health units; multiple extended acute care units, outpatient services, and substance abuse rehabilitation inpatient units; and a residential program. Comments from Dr. Golden’s ACES nomination included the following:
“Dr. Golden's impact is profound and far-reaching. He sets the tone for how a physician can lead—not just with knowledge, but with heart. I recall one particularly moving example in which he followed a patient from the initial referral to their eventual admission to the Center for Eating Disorders and later celebrated their successful transition back to the community. This level of continuity, commitment, and genuine joy in patient recovery is rare and deeply meaningful. His presence and perspective have reshaped how our team works across departments, and his ability to balance clinical excellence with compassionate leadership is truly exemplary.”
“Dr. Golden consistently goes above and beyond his role. He doesn’t just respond to referrals, he proactively reviews them, communicates directly with facilities, and strategizes capacity management in real time. He’s deeply involved in every layer of patient flow, from emergency intake to inpatient placement, ensuring that decisions are clinically sound and ethically grounded. He regularly offers to assist with difficult clinical dispositions, and propelling collaborative conversations with multidisciplinary teams on enhancing the best possible outcome. He is always present, always reliable, and always pushing toward better care delivery.”
“Dr. Golden represents the best of UPMC. He is a trusted leader, a motivator, and a role model to his peers. His daily actions reflect the highest standards of care, and his influence on both our staff and our patients is immeasurable. Simply put, we could not do this work without him—and we are incredibly fortunate to have him on our team.”
Congratulations, Dr. Golden!