Category: Uncategorized

Psychiatry Department receives high marks from Joint Commission

On Oct. 11, Nebraska Medicine, including the Department of Psychiatry, earned Behavioral Health Care Accreditation from the Joint Commission. On Aug. 14, members of the Joint Commission visited the Department of Psychiatry, and a site visitor conducted a detailed review of five cases encompassing the Intensive Outpatient Program and Poynter Hall.  In addition, the visitor […]

Oct 28, 2019

Fighting stigma and building a career treating substance use disorders

When Alëna A. Balasanova, M.D., began her psychiatry residency at Boston University, she encountered patients with SUD the way all too many people do—with judgment: “I wanted to treat patients with depression and anxiety—I didn’t sign up to treat people with a drug addiction, I held some very stigmatizing beliefs.” Over the course of her […]

Oct 10, 2019

Spotlight: Emily Guthrie

Emily was born and raised in Omaha. She graduated from Xenon International with a degree in Cosmetology. Emily joined the Intensive Outpatient Program in 2018 as the IOP’s first medical receptionist. Why did you choose to work for the Department of Psychiatry? I chose to work for psychiatry when my previous employer closed their Omaha […]

Sep 13, 2019

Dr. Sheritta Strong set to receive 2019 College of Medicine Early Career Achievement Award

Dr. Sheritta Strong has been honored with the 2019 College of Medicine Early Career Achievement Award. The award is given by the UNMC College of Medicine Alumni Council to an alumnus who has demonstrated marked achievement and contributions to the field of medicine in the first twenty years of his or her career. Dr. Strong […]

Sep 13, 2019

Dr. Sharon Hammer honored by the State of Nebraska

This summer, Sharon Hammer, M.D. was honored by Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts for her excellence and innovation in delivering services to Nebraska Medicaid recipients. Gov. Ricketts named Dr. Hammer as one of three recipients of the inaugural Nebraska Medicaid Provider Award. Dr. Hammer was recognized for the establishment of the state’s first psychiatric service line […]

Sep 13, 2019

Department stays ahead of new BH trends

The Department of Psychiatry continues to look at new ways to increase patient access to quality care. Dr. David Cates, Vice-Chair for Clinical Services in the Department of Psychiatry, says there are a lot of national trends that predict more patients needing psychiatric care. Dr. Cates said SG2, a national healthcare consulting group, published a […]

Sep 13, 2019

Psychiatry Department supports Out of the Darkness walk

More than a dozen Department of Psychiatry staff members walked together on Sept. 8 to raise awareness and funds that allow the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to invest in new research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss. Nearly 6,000 people participated in the Out of the […]

Sep 13, 2019

Dr. Howard Liu co-authors paper on social media

Department of Psychiatry Chair Dr. Howard Liu has co-authored a paper to show how social media skills can increase professional development in psychiatry and medicine. Dr. Liu (Twitter handle: @DrHowardLiu) has long had a substantial presence on social media sites like Twitter and professional networking sites like LinkedIn. Currently, Dr. Liu has nearly 10,000 followers […]

Aug 15, 2019

Fourth-year medical student earns scholarship to attend major conference

UNMC fourth-year medical student Jessica Thai has made a point to attend as many national conferences as possible. She has presented research and will appear on panels and help lead discussions at upcoming conferences this year. Even at past conferences, attended solely as an attendee, she found that the mentorship and networking opportunities were well […]

Aug 15, 2019

Vicki Adolf still going strong after 35 years

Department of Psychiatry nurse Vicki Adolf says she’s seen more than 25,000 patient encounters since she started at Nebraska Medicine in 1984, and Dr. Steven Wengel says she probably remembers all of them. This year, Adolf, a nurse in the geriatric psychiatry, celebrated her 35th year with Nebraska Medicine. In her first years at Nebraska […]

Aug 15, 2019