Author: Derek Sullivan

Six physicians receive promotions

The Department of Psychiatry promoted six physicians on July 1, 2022. Alëna Balasanova, MD, FAPA; Marley Doyle, MD; Sheritta Strong, MD, DFAPA, and VaKara Meyer Karre, MD, have been promoted to Associate Professor. Riley Machal, MD, and Erin Ranum, MD, have been promoted to Assistant Professor. Drs. Balasanova, Doyle, Strong, and Meyer Karre have excelled […]

Jul 14, 2022

Liu named Chair of the Council on Communications with the APA

In May 2022, Howard Y. Liu, MD, MBA, was appointed as the new Chair of the Council on Communications at the American Psychiatric Association (APA).    Dr. Liu said the Chair of the Council on Communications leads strategic meetings of the members and staff who are assisting the APA with items related to messaging:  providing […]

Jul 14, 2022

SPOTLIGHT: Meg Ryan

Office Associate, DEI Meg comes to UNMC after working as a Medication Access Coordinator with Nebraska Medicine. She grew up in Bellevue and earned a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Sciences from Bellevue University. What made you want to work at UNMC? There are a few things I know to be true. First: You put one […]

Jun 7, 2022

Psychiatry colleagues remember Dan Jacques

On June 3, the UNMC Department of Psychiatry held a virtual memorial to honor IT specialist and longtime colleague Daniel “Dan” Jacques, who died on May 2. Dan worked at UNMC for five decades. Longtime friend and colleague Mark Fleisher, MD, called him “simply irreplaceable.” Dan started at UNMC in April 1972 in research. In 1987, […]

Jun 7, 2022

Spotlight: Zoe Feilner, MPAS, PA-C

Physician Assistant, Adult Zoe was born and raised in Omaha. Before joining the Department of Psychiatry, she worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at UNO Biomechanics Lab for studies on Autism Spectrum Disorder.  She earned a B.S. in Psychology and an M.S. in PAS from College of Saint Mary. She also worked five years as […]

May 2, 2022

Bull honored with Silver ‘U’

Jennifer Bull was honored with the Silver ‘U’ award for her work as the communication coordinator for the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN). BHECN Director Marley Doyle, MD, nominated Bull and said she played a huge role in BHECN’s success in 2021-22. “Jennifer is an integral part of BHECN,” Dr. Doyle said. “This year, she […]

May 2, 2022

Gliko honored by the University of Iowa

Dominic Gliko, RN, was awarded the Dean’s Achievement Award from the University of Iowa, where he graduated in 2021. Gliko received the award for his work in diversity, equity and inclusion. He was nominated for making significant contributions to promote healthcare equity for the LGBTQIA+ communities and for the mental health interventions he helped develop […]

May 2, 2022

New residents are ready to get started

On March 18, five first-year residents matched with the UNMC Department of Psychiatry. The new interns bring the number of psychiatry residents to 15. The new residents will arrive in June and start rotations in July. George Blankenau, MD; Jacob Givens, MD; and Harrison Greene, MD, matched after graduating from the UNMC College of Medicine. […]

May 2, 2022

Mark Aksamit, MPAS, PA-C, was named NAPA Physician Assistant of the Year

Mark Aksamit, MPAS, PA-C, was named the Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants (NAPA) Physician Assistant of the Year. While Aksamit, APP Ambulatory Supervisor for the Department of Psychiatry, admitted he didn’t believe he would win the prestigious award, his colleagues thought he was very deserving. He was nominated by Maggie Emerson, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, who […]

May 2, 2022

Dr. Varun Sharma accepts two new roles

On March 7, 2022, Varun Sharma, MD, was named APP Collaboration Director in the UNMC Department of Psychiatry. This role includes overseeing ongoing professional development for APPs, promoting productive interprofessional relationships, developing efficient workflows, and identifying competencies that tie to levels of supervision and triage.  Dr. Sharma will also co-lead the exploration of, and possible […]

Apr 5, 2022