Psychiatry

Wellness Committee donates hygiene kits to local youths

On March 27, 2024, the Department of Psychiatry Wellness Committee purchased hygiene items for children and adolescents at the Youth Emergency Services (YES), placed them into bags, and delivered more the kits to the center. YES provides housing and support to local youths experiencing instability, crisis, or homelessness. YES’s mission is to envision a community […]

Apr 2, 2024

Dr. Balasanova will discuss stigmatizing language

Harmful effects of stigmatizing language – April 18, noon to 1 p.m., in-person and via Zoom In this session with Alëna Balasanova, MD, associate professor, department of psychiatry and director of addiction psychiatry education at UNMC, attendees will learn the importance of reducing stigmatizing language in medicine and ways that stigmatizing language impacts patient care.  […]

Mar 4, 2024

UNMC resident plays key role in Bridges to Mental Health project

Department of Psychiatry third-year resident Max Lydiatt, MD, has spent the past year and a half working on training materials and surveys to help doctors and other medical providers, who do not have an extensive background in behavioral healthcare, learn how to handle patients who show mental health concerns.  The Bridges to Mental Health project […]

Mar 4, 2024

Residency Department prepares for Match Day 2024

On March 15, 2024, the Department of Psychiatry expects to add five residents to its training program. Match Day, when medical school graduates find out where they will continue their training as residents, takes place on the third Friday in March. It’s not only a big day for the new doctors, but is also a […]

Mar 4, 2024

Dr. David Taylor set to replace Dr. Lauren Edwards as PSQ Lead

On July 1, 2024, David Taylor, MD, will take over as Patient Safety and Quality Lead in the Department of Psychiatry. The lead will, among other things, analyze service quality, implement QI projects, and seek opportunities to improve patient safety. Lauren Edwards, MD, is the first and current lead for Patient Safety and Quality. She […]

Mar 4, 2024

Dr. Soonjo Hwang has article published in leading psychiatry journal

Soonjo Hwang, MD, the Director of Research for the Department of Psychiatry, will publish his clinical study results of intranasal oxytocin for youth with irritability in the April issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP).  The article, “Neural Responses to Intranasal Oxytocin in Youths With Severe Irritability,” will also appear on the publication’s website […]

Mar 4, 2024

Davenport takes over as Chair of DEI Committee

Caroline Davenport has been named the new Chair of the Department of Psychiatry’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. She started her new role on January 29, 2024.  The DEI Committee started in the fall of 2020 with a mission to ask questions, to listen, to reflect, and to engage team members and community partners to create […]

Mar 4, 2024

Whitaker hired as Ambulatory Supervisor

Kerri Whitaker, an ASCP-certified phlebotomist, was hired as an Ambulatory Supervisor on Oct. 9, 2023, to oversee the Psychiatry Clinic care staff. Whitaker came to psychiatry after working in a similar role in the Nebraska Medicine Immediate Care Clinic. In her new role, she will, among other things, coordinate the schedules of the care staff, […]

Feb 13, 2024

Becker’s Hospital Review gives high marks to Psychiatry Clinic

Becker’s Hospital Review named the Nebraska Medicine Department of Psychiatry as one of the top 36 psychiatry and mental health programs in the United States.  Becker’s Hospital Review is a leading hospital magazine for business news and healthcare system analysis. According to its website, the magazine’s editors recognized the Nebraska Medicine Department of Psychiatry and […]

Feb 13, 2024

Dr. Balasanova receives Leonard Tow Humanism Award

Alëna Balasanova, MD, associate professor in the department of psychiatry, received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award on January 27, 2024. The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation recognizes graduating medical students and faculty members who are exemplars of humanism in the care of patients. Dr. Balasanova […]

Feb 13, 2024