The Department of Psychiatry is committed to the growth and development of our faculty through all stages of the academic career. Our faculty are diverse in their interests and pathways, which may include research, clinical innovation, teaching, and administration. We believe that early mentorship, sponsorship, and strategic networking within a faculty’s area of interest is an essential component of the departmental commitment to faculty success. All Harvard Medical School faculty are required to teach. As such, we ensure that our faculty have the most-updated tools, technologies, and skills to teach our adult learners, including in the virtual environment. Faculty may choose to enhance teaching skills through regular offerings by the Department of Psychiatry and through the Brigham Education Institute. Faculty are supported through the academic promotion process.
The Department of Psychiatry has a rich, multi-disciplinary program to drive professional fulfillment across the career-span for all clinicians, researchers and administration. Collaboration is the cornerstone of our approach: We strive to create both a work culture and practices that stem from the frontlines. Our departmental initiatives in wellness incorporate evidenced-based practices to foster meaningfulness of work, enhance work-life integration and implement systems efficiencies that reinforce the role of the organization in reducing burnout. Through close integration with the Brigham and Women's Hospital strategy on wellness, we implement both intra- and inter-departmental programs. We celebrate the individual choice for career development, whether it be through academic advancement, clinical innovation, community engagement, or personal interests in the arts, music and sports.
The Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Psychiatry strongly supports innovation in psychiatry and has been a successful incubator of several innovative programs, which have been designed to address the many gaps that remain in our healthcare system. Some of these programs and protocols include:
Embedding a consultation-liaison psychiatrist in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) to provide proactive psychiatric consultation to patients requiring intensive care and reduce the duration of MICU admission
The Longitudinal Urgent Care Psychiatry (LUCY) clinic, offers rapid-access outpatient treatment with a psychiatrist and social worker to Brigham and Women’s patients on a walk-in basis, shortening the time required to access outpatient psychiatric care and making it possible for patients who cannot keep traditional scheduled appointments to remain in treatment
A wide range of subspecialty clinics and programs tailored to patients with subspecialty conditions and demographics, including (but not limited to): pregnancy, women’s health issues, neurological conditions, infectious diseases, and young adults
The application of digital tools that enhance patient experience and help to ensure that optimal patient outcomes are achieved
The department is engaged in many quality improvement and demonstration projects to improve modes and models of care for patients suffering with mental illness. Dr. David Kroll directs innovation and quality initiatives, working closely with many faculty, staff, and trainees.
The JEDI Committee believes that true equity requires humility. We build safety and trust through inclusion, collaboration and shared influence. We work to recognize the impact of oppression on communities and peoples and seek to address this in our work with patients and each other. The Committee serves as a resource, guide, and advisor, steering the Department of Psychiatry in moving towards justice and equity in patient care and all aspects of department work; including working to foster a sense of community and belonging for us all, providing education, creating opportunities and conducting research.
To reach a physician in the Department of Psychiatry or to receive additional information about our services, call the toll-free Physician Referral Service number at 1-800-MD-to-BWH (1-800-638-6294). This number is staffed 8am-5pm, Monday through Friday. A representative can direct you to the physician with whom you wish to speak, as well as facilitate consultations and second opinions. Mass General Brigham physicians who would like to request a consultation are encouraged to use the Physician Gateway system.
Inpatient transfer services are handled by MDConnect. MDConnect is a joint program between Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, serving as a community physician's direct link to the transfer and transport services of these hospitals. With one call, MDConnect will coordinate timely communication between referring and receiving physicians, locate inpatient beds, and arrange transport. Ground-based, mobile ICUs, staffed with specially trained nurses and paramedics, are also available through this service. To reach MDConnect call (877) 637-3337.
For physicians who have questions about our program or are seeking another opinion, you also may visit Brigham Online Specialty Consultations.
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