Q1| 2018
BRAINSTORMS Quarterly Publication of the University of Miami Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
In This Edition: Blowing the Whistle on Mental Health: Our Patient and Friend Karen Taylor Shares Her Story on Fighting Depression and Raising Awareness The Parkland Shooting: MSD Alumnus and Faculty Member Dr. Nicole Mavrides on How to Talk to Your Children About Tragedy Much more!
A Message from the Chairman alking back from covering the geriatric psychiatry inpatient unit at the Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital this morning on this gorgeous spring day with blue skies above gave me the opportunity to reflect on the department, its faculty and residents. I rounded on 15 very sick geriatric patients who suffer with a variety of severe psychiatric and medical disorders ranging from schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease to depression, bipolar disorder and Parkinson’s disease. It reminded me of how very hard our faculty and residents work with the sickest of patients in our community.
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We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated group of faculty and residents who serve all of our clinical sites including Jackson, the Miami VA Medical Center and the University of Miami Hospital. We have just received the results of our residency match and I could not be more delighted with the results. First, we have witnessed a major increase in the number of graduating medical students who have chosen psychiatry as their specialty: more than a doubling since 2009. Our new class comes from a variety of schools and is very diverse in every way, geographically, background, gender and interests. I look forward to welcoming them here this summer. We remain as one of the largest psychiatry residency programs with 15 new first year residents joining us this year.
The tragedy of the Parkland shooting in February hit our department very hard as one of our faculty, Dr. Nicole Mavrides, attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She organized a clinic with our child and adolescent psychiatry fellows at our nearby University of Miami Deerfield Clinic to see family members and students who were seeking psychiatric care. We continue to work with our colleagues locally and nationally to help reduce the burden of the opiate overdose crisis and suicide which together accounted for the loss of approximately 120,000 lives last year in the United States. If there is any silver lining here, it is the inclusion in the recently approved U.S. budget for research and clinical care dollars to address the opioid crisis, as well as research in another extraordinarily important public health area, Alzheimer’s disease. In terms of research, our department maintained its top 25 status in NIH funding among Departments of Psychiatry nationwide and we continue to submit new grants at a remarkable rate. There is much work to be done and the patient volumes at each of our clinical sites show no signs of abating any time soon. Finally on a lighter note, I was delighted to be a part of the faculty victory over the residents in our annual softball game, 19-7. This was the faculty’s 4th victory in a row and a good time was had by all. Sincerely,
Charlie
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Miami VA Healthcare System Hosts Mental Health Summit Featuring Dr. Charles Nemeroff as Keynote Speaker n January 19, the Miami VA Healthcare System hosted a Mental Health Summit,aimed at bringing together key stakeholders in the community. The goals were to enhance access to mental health services and address the mental healthcare needs of veterans and their families residing in South Florida. More than 200 people attended, including veterans and their families, community mental health and medical professionals, human service agents, members of the legal community and law enforcement, representatives from Veteran Service organizations, university leadership, and students. Miami-Dade County Commissioner (District 12) and Marine veteran Pepe Diaz provided welcoming remarks as did Mr. Paul Russo, Director of the VA Healthcare System who emphasized, “Long after their military discharge, our veterans symbolize what it means to be a citizen. In every community in this country, you will find veterans in positions of service and leadership. Veterans live out the meaning of patriotism and dedication every day. It is our mission to match
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Dr. Spencer Eth
their dedication by working together to serve them to restore their well-being so that they may return to the communities for which they sacrificed.” Dr. Spencer Eth, Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry also spoke, adding, “The rate of suicide among veterans is about 20% higher than for comparable Americans who have not served in the military. This risk is even greater for female veterans and for veterans under the age of 30. The Miami VA’s goal is to contribute to the reduction in the number of our nation’s veterans who die each day by their own hands from 20 down to zero.” Accordingly, Dr. Nemeroff provided the keynote address focused on Progress in Suicide Prevention, highlighting how different demographics, regions, and populations have been impacted by suicide and what needs to be done to reduce the astounding statistic that suicide is the #10 cause of death in our country. He also addressed the different risk factors and particularly vulnerable populations such as veterans. Dr.
Charles Nemeroff
“To reduce suicides, we must be attentive to risk factors – mental health conditions, previous suicide attempts, trauma – and committed to improving the protective factors such as strong support systems, access to mental health care, and problem-solving skills.” — Dr. Nemeroff
Veterans & Mental Health* An average of
20
veterans die by suicide each day In 2014, veterans accounted for
18%
of all deaths by suicide among all U.S. adults In 2014,
67%
of all veteran deaths by suicide were the result of firearm injuries *Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Report: Suicide Among Veterans and Other Americans 2001-2014.” Published August 2016, updated August 2017. https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/ 2016suicidedatareport.pdf
PTSD Awareness Day Visit the Miami VA for a day dedicated to PTSD awareness. Join 30+ community partners and learn about internal programs that offer important resources available to veterans including those pertaining to mental health, educational/ vocational opportunities and information for veterans struggling with their current lifestyle situations.
Thursday, May 31, 2018 9am –1pm Miami VA 1201 NW 16th St. | Miami, FL 33125 Auditorium–2nd Floor Parking available in the West Lot. For more information, contact: Gloria Lewis, MSN, RN 305.575.7000 x3914 gloria.lewis@va.gov
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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Miami-Dade County Walk n February 11, 2018, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention again hosted their annual Out of the Darkness Miami-Dade County Walk. Despite an event delay and location change due to Hurricane Irma last September, more than 1,000 people registered to walk through Tropical Park and nearly $60,000 was raised from community supporters. Team UHealth boasted 40 members and was the fourth highest
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fundraiser, bringing in almost $5,000. The AFSP Community Walks produce millions of dollars for suicide prevention programs, unite those who have been affected by suicide, and create communities that are smart about mental health. We are proud to support their mission to reduce the suicide rate 20% by 2025 and partner with them on other programs including the recently launched Interactive Screening Program on the UM Medical School campus.
left Friends of the Department Jason Richter and Ace come out in support of suicide prevention. below Friend of the Department Karen Taylor and Elliott Sullivan walk in memory of their close friend Karen Laratro. Ms. Laratro lost her life to suicide in 2017. Read Karen’s own story on p. 6
Grief and Coping Sessions for Parkland Community Available at Sylvester – Deerfield Beach Facility
Mental health professionals from the University of Miami Medical School Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences holding Grief and Coping Sessions for those affected by the recent Parkland tragedy. We welcome individuals of all ages to visit our Sylvester at Deerfield Beach facility at the address below. Sylvester at Deerfield Beach 1192 E. Newport Center Drive, Suite 100, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 One session will last approximately one hour and is free of charge.
Schedule: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, 9 am –3 pm
To ensure those seeking help have adequate time to see a physician, we kindly request making an appointment by dialing 954.571.0111 and selecting Option 3. Our thoughts are with the victims of this senseless tragedy.
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School Shootings is the New “Tough Talk” to Have with Your Kids By Dr. Nicole Mavrides UHealth Child Psychiatry Expert and Marjory Stoneman Douglas Alumnus provides tips on how to help your kids cope with tragedy.
arkland, Florida is a quiet, unassuming town located in Northern Broward County. Until last month, the quaint city’s biggest claim to fame was being the hometown of Chicago Cubs player, Anthony Rizzo (also a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School). And now, Parkland has become infamous because of the unexplainable and horrific events from February 14, 2018. This high school—my high school— gave so many current and former students like myself the most wonderful memories. And now, I along with so many others reading this article are shedding tears over this tragedy. The halls and fields we enjoyed, will be forever transformed in our hearts and will become known as the school where an unfathomable shooting occurred. In a matter of minutes, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's legacy of peace and excellence was transformed by a former student's indiscriminate rant of violence. In a matter of minutes, 17 lives were lost, many injured and the peace and sense of security felt by the residents of Parkland was destroyed. All Americans, especially those living in South Florida, have been asking themselves, “How could this happen and now that it has, what do we do?" As a child psychiatrist, I am prepared to teach parents how to talk to their children about the event, as well as how to look for signs that signal when and if your child needs to visit with a mental health provider. However, as a parent, member of the Parkland community and a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, my information will not quiet the sadness that has fallen over our neighborhood.
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Talk and Listen The first thing to do after a mass shooting or any traumatic event is to talk to your children. Ask them if they know
about what happened. Listen to them and be aware of inaccuracies they might mention. Gently correct any misconceptions and use simple, but clear words to inform them about the facts of the event. Most children and teens will be more aware of what has happened than parents realize—so, if you do not talk to them, the silence can be deafening. It may be scarier for them to imagine what has happened then to be informed of the facts. Encourage Questions Encourage your child to ask questions even if it brings up difficult topics that are hard to talk about. Kids will be yearning for a sense of security and will want to know if this type of violence can occur again. Of course, we do not know those answers, but, we must reassure our children that adults (parents, teachers, police) are doing everything that they can to keep them safe. We must be honest, so all kids know that both good and evil exist. Don’t be afraid to talk about how the person responsible was a bad person. For young children, share examples from Disney movies that they can relate to when comparing good and evil. It may be a good idea to encourage young children to express their feelings with drawings while older kids and teens may want to talk about their concerns. Limit Media Exposure It is very important to limit the media exposure for children and teens. Try to avoid having your young children see or hear anything on the TV or radio about the shooting. Young children may not understand that the news is replaying the same event repeatedly and may think that it’s a new event each time they hear/see it. When it comes to social media, checking what your child is looking at is important. Children should not be watching videos about the shooting constantly. Also, it is imperative to ensure that the information that they are seeing is accurate. A Return to Normalcy It is vital to help your child return to his/ her normal routine as quickly as possible.
This means returning to school, sporting activities, play dates, and rules and regulations in the home. The sooner that they are back to their “normal” routines, kids will feel safer and less frightened. What to Look For Most children and teens are resilient, which means that in a short period of time, they will return to their normal activities and personality. But, what if they don’t? Parents and teachers should be alert to signs of anxiety or depression that might suggest that professional assistance is needed. Examples of behaviors to look out for could be changes in school performance, relationships with peers/teachers, excessive worrying, refusal to attend school, sleeplessness, nightmares, bed wetting, headaches/stomachaches, and/or loss of interest in activities. If you notice any or all these symptoms, please reach out to your pediatrician and/or a mental health provider for guidance. The alumni from Stoneman Douglas High School, as well as the parents and community of Parkland, Florida will work together to try to ensure the safety of our children as they play, work, and learn both in and out of school. This article originally appeared in the Miami Herald on February 15, 2018. Nicole A. Mavrides, M.D. is the Medical Director of Child Psychiatry Consultation Service at the University of Miami Health System, as well as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
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Blowing the Whistle on Mental Health: My Determination to Beat Depression and Help Others | By Karen Taylor his picture (right) is almost twenty-five years old. Recently, I posted it on social media and asked my friends to comment on what they saw. My first child was fiveweeks-old, and we had come together for his Baptism. The comments my friends posted in response to my picture reflect the lack of awareness about depression and other forms of mental illness that is so prevalent in our society. I read comments such as, “Lots of love,” and “I see a look of love that a mother and father have for their baby, and it hasn't changed through the years,” and “A loving family christening their newborn baby surrounded by [G]od,” and finally, “Hope,” which is the most ironic comment of all because at that moment, I was begging God to take my pain away or end my life. I had no hope. Even though I was surrounded by people who loved me, I had never felt so entirely alone. A careful look at the picture reveals all. I am holding my son, but there is no warmth in my embrace, and no joy in my eyes. I am thinking about how much longer the whole affair will last, so I can calculate how soon I will be able to retreat to the safety of my bed.
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My first psychologist recommended "going to the beach and eating lobster" to heal my depression.
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Looking at my husband and sister’s faces reveals their pain and confusion. At the time, they were the only people I had confided in, although I had not confided everything because I thought that if they knew what was really going on in my head, they would reject me or run away in fear. I thought they would be afraid because I was so afraid. My thoughts were overwhelming and beyond imagination. I had no control over them. They were so DARK, unspeakably dark. I could not understand how someone who wanted so badly to be a mother could fail so miserably. Of course, I did not realize I was in the middle of a deep depression, nor did I recognize that the depression was distorting my understanding of reality.
"That is one of the great dangers of mental illness. It doesn’t always look the way we think it should." My first child was not a happy baby. He suffered from colic and was hard to soothe. In the midst of my distorted thinking, I saw my baby’s fussiness as my failure. I hated breastfeeding— another failure. He was not thriving— more failure. Why was what other mothers found so easy, so easy that they claimed it was instinctual, so hard for me? It was a stressful time. I did not sleep for days on end, and I had a massive headache all the time. The headaches I suffered were only the beginning of the physical pain that resulted from these symptoms that I still could not give a name. Even though I was a happily married newlywed with a new baby in a beautiful home, I did not experience joy, and none of the things that brought pleasure in the past meant anything to me.
Baptizing my first-born.
People use the term “rock bottom” as a cliché, but in my case, it was no cliché nor exaggeration. My brain hurt; my heart hurt; and my body hurt. In no time, my self-esteem was non-existent. Yet, by looking at the outward “me” in the picture, no one would guess just how desperate and scared I felt. I was dressed, and I had make-up on. No one can see that it is all a charade. At times, I did resemble the stereotypical depressive patient, staring off into space. Most of the time I was that person who was completely unplugged from the world, but when I had to, I could play charades with those around me. I gave an Oscar-worthy performance. My OB/GYN told me that PostPartum Depression does not begin five weeks after the baby is born, so that could not be what I was experiencing. He suggested that I see a neurologist because he thought my symptoms could indicate the presence of a brain tumor. This, of course, did nothing to make me feel better. Despite facing this level of ignorance and what I saw as a disregard for the seriousness of my situation from some so-called professionals, I continued to search for help from the only source I could think of—more professionals. The first psychologist I saw said I would feel better if I made time to “do nice things” for myself: “take a walk on the beach” and “eat lobster.” Does this person understand that my pain is so awful that the only solution I can see is to end my life? Does she comprehend what it took for me to get
out of bed and get dressed to come here? Does she realize that I have not left my bed for weeks? Does she know that there is a lump so large in my throat that I cannot even sip water? Sure, a walk on the beach and a lobster dinner. That will end this crushing pain I am carrying— this self-loathing—this sense that I am a complete failure who is disappointing every person in my life—this all-encompassing desire I have to die just so the pain will stop? Sure, some sand and shellfish, that’s the ticket.
Another life change as we moved to Washington state.
The lack of answers in a field of medicine that we expect to be well-informed about Post-Partum and other forms of depression was appalling. I never imagined that when I found the courage to seek help, I would run the risk of seeing practitioner after practitioner who did not even understand my disease much less have an inkling how to treat it. Time and again, doctor after doctor would look me in the eye and say, “I can’t help you.” Not only was this extremely discouraging, but also, as I now know from talking to others, it is not at all uncommon. Very few of us are fortunate enough to see the right doctor the first time or the second time, or even the third time we seek help. As is often the case when we exhaust all other avenues, I found the answer on my own. I turned to the book almost every expectant mother had on her nightstand in the 1990s. The answer I sought was in one of the last chapters of
My depression even accompanied me on an amazing trip to Italy with our whole family.
the popular What to Expect When You Are Expecting, by Murkoff and Mazel. The authors provided a checklist for Post-Partum Depression. To my astonishment, I had every symptom. Finally, I had an answer. Now, I needed to find the right treatment plan. I met Dr. Charles Nemeroff for the first time in the 1990s. My husband and I had moved to Georgia right after my son’s Christening. It was another major life change, and I was afraid to be alone in a new place with a newborn baby. When I walked into Dr. Nemeroff’s office at Emory for the first time, I was terrified, terrified because all of the previous doctors “could not help me” get well. After Dr. Nemeroff and I spoke for a few minutes, I remember him looking me in the eyes and saying he COULD help me. He told me he would make me feel well again, and Dr. Nemeroff was true to his word. My husband and I moved all over the country for his job. I managed to have two more babies. With each birth came the need to adjust my medication. My third pregnancy was the most difficult. The Post-Partum Depression hit harder, and the medication no longer worked. I was not doing well at all. Once again, we were transferred, but this time it was back to South Florida—home. To my surprise, I discovered that Dr. Nemeroff was now working at the University of Miami. I was able to see him, and within a few months, he had me feeling well again.
Dr. Nemeroff is unlike any psychiatrist I have ever met. It goes without saying that his intelligence, his vast knowledge base and his ability to problem solve creatively are extraordinary. Those three factors alone make him different. But the things that make him truly unique are human characteristics that define the man. I’m sure they show up everywhere in his life, but he is open enough to share them with his patients. He listens. And he explains. He is warm, kind, and has a big heart. He cares. I have even given him a nickname. To me and those close to me, Dr. Nemeroff is “the Wizard.” Because of him, I am alive today, enjoying my adult children. I owe him my life.
My son's college graduation. Unbelievably proud but still struggling inside.
GIVING BACK “Mental illness strikes like lightning. Finding the right treatment turned my life around and I am committed to helping others do the same. Having lived in Parkland for a number of years, the tragic massacre hit close to home. It is vital we teach kids coping skills and ensure they know we are there for them. I can't tell you how many youths have come to me just to talk through their own feelings. Because they know I’m open about mine.”
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Faculty Feature | Dr. Shaun Brothers | Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences knowledge that Sylvester researchers routinely achieve and provide the means to translate such findings into something that the outstanding Sylvester clinicians can use to help patients.
hen did you join the Department? February 2011 as part of the group of several faculty moving from the Scripps Research Institute in Florida.
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What were you doing prior to your work here? My work at Scripps was similarly focused on preclinical drug discovery and development, including working on high throughput screening and working with medicinal chemistry teams to develop compounds. You co-founded the Center for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) here at the UM Medical School. What does CTI do and what is your role there now? The CTI is a blanket program that we founded to incubate our programs and also provide our drug discovery and development expertise to the larger University of Miami community. The CTI houses several mature drug discovery programs including some clinical work. This was a natural fit within the larger picture of the statewide efforts to install drug discovery oriented institutions, such as Scripps Florida, Max Planck and Sanford Burnham. My particular role is largely to oversee much of the drug discovery work. Impressively, you’ve been awarded more than $5M in grants from the NIH. Can you tell us about some of the research you’re currently working on? My greatest passion in science is drug discovery; it is quite compelling to identify a disease and a target that we could find a drug for and actually help people. A lot of academic science is focused on answering questions as to how biology works, and while this is interesting, I like to take the work to the next step, which is translating it. Given that premise, I don’t actually have a specific area of focus in my work except that any given project is focused on identifying or developing new human therapies. So I end up working in many disciplines including in neuroscience, cancer and more recently in rare genetic
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disorders. Thus my funding comes also from many sources. Two grants I have are for developing new therapeutics for PTSD and another for developing new therapies for a single gene disorder called mucopolysaccharidosis I. Both are interesting projects that have almost nothing to do with one another. In the PTSD project I work with experts from Scripps Florida and McLean Hospital in Boston. Together we are working to better the compound series that we have in order to create a molecule that looks to be sufficiently drug-like and efficacious to move it to future clinical trials. In the second project, we have already identified some interesting molecules and are looking at performing clinical work as soon as this year. This latter project is among the most mature and we’ve even had meetings with the FDA about it to discuss the clinical trials. Other funding comes from a variety of sources, for example I have co-PI roles on other peoples grants and we were recently awarded a Jay Weiss Institute Community grant for a project that aims to uncover how white, black and latino men and women respond as different groups to cancer therapies to uncover any potential for treatment disparities with the goal of improving clinical outcomes. In addition to this the Sylvester Cancer Center has sponsored collaborative work with other cancer center members to advance their drug discovery projects. These numerous projects are aimed at developing the top science that is performed at the cancer center into something that will benefit patients. We feel that this is a powerful tool because we provide the critical link between the outstanding advances in
It seems like the development of therapies with curative properties for people would be a top priority for funding organizations. But we know that grants are increasingly difficult to come by. What are some challenges you’ve faced in securing funding for your projects? As for funding and the funding environment, I think it is true that funding has stagnated and seems to be more competitive than ever. However, there has also been a realization as of ten to 15 years ago by the NIH that indeed the work that is being performed by basic researchers needs to find its way into a pipeline that is oriented toward actual treatments. Thus, while some areas of funding have perhaps shrunk or have become more competitive, drug discovery and development efforts appear to be a clear focus for funding agencies. This is not to say that funding is easy to come by, but it does mean that agencies are more prone to make an investment in work that has a clearer potential to immediately impact human health. We also rely heavily on private donations. I find that while a donor or foundation may be interested in providing money for research into how a disease that is important to them works, the conversation changes when you specify that you have the capacity to actually try to come up with new ways of treating the disease. This resonates well and we have been fortunate to have some forward thinking donors and foundations make some investments into this process with us. With some outstanding outcomes. Is there a milestone you’re reaching for in your current work? My ultimate currently unattained career goal is an FDA approval for one of my programs. The satisfaction of providing patients with something that could help them in their lives is compelling to me.
Department Achievements
Dr. Lujain Alhajji presents her poster Teaching Neurobioogy in Psychiatry at the annual American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training (AADPRT) meeting in March. The poster discussed the importance of integrating neuroscience in the training and teaching of psychiatry residents, outlining specific neuroscientific topics to teach in a curriculum, and proposing teaching strategies that may enhance learning.
Dr. Zelde Espinel was presented with the Nyapati Rao and Francis Lu International Medical Graduate (IMG) Fellowship by the AADPRT at this year’s annual meeting. The fellowship program is designed to promote the professional growth of exceptional IMG psychiatry residents/fellows with leadership potential, particularly those interested in resident education. The mission of AADPRT is to better meet the nation’s mental health care needs and promote excellence in the education and training of future psychiatrists.
Members of our Department are consistently being recognized for their outstanding work. Read about some their latest research and awards below!
Dr. Raul Poulsen with his poster Online Residency Training in Tobacco Use Disorders also at the annual AADPRT meeting.
His poster addressed barriers to training on Tobacco Use Disorder (TUD). To remedy this problem, there is a need to create new curricula for psychiatry residents to make trainings relevant and feasible to their needs. An online training module was developed and tested on the identification and treatment of Tobacco Use Disorders showing poor baseline knowledge on TUD, increases in knowledge acquisition after completing the program, and Residents reporting a need for TUD treatment within the mental health setting.
Dr. Vanessa Padilla, Assistant Professor, was inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists at their Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida. Membership in The College is limited to psychiatrists who have demonstrated outstanding competence in the field of psychiatry, and who have achieved national recognition in clinical practice, research, academic leadership, or teaching. New Members must be sponsored by Fellows or Members of The College who are personally familiar with their work and career.
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Staff Stars | Cary Fratacci | Sr. Program Coordinator he Staff Stars column highlights the commitment and accomplishments of an individual in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Nominations may be submitted to Samantha Richter at psychiatry@miami.edu. Please include a brief description of the nominee’s job responsibilities and why you believe they should be the next Star!
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Are you from Miami? What was your career path to the U? I am originally from New York. When I relocated to Miami in 1993, the first place I visited for employment was the University of Miami medical campus, at that time known as The University of Miami School of Medicine. The Human Resources department would interview walk-ins from 9 am-3 pm, MondayThursday. I remember sitting in the waiting area a bit anxious when I saw the crowd of people who were applying for a job at UM. I thought, “I’m not sure if they’ll even call my name…” and at that very moment, my name was called. At the time, all they were able to offer me was an opportunity to sign up for the “temp pool.” I thought maybe this was a good way to get my foot in the door. Sure enough, I was hired two weeks later in the Medical Education office as a temp employee. The job was just doing basic clerical work, but I did it with the utmost diligence, determined to learn everything and help the Medical Education department succeed in its work with the Dean for Medical Education. I was hired as a permanent employee about three months later. That was 23 years ago! I understand you have a very unique story about your 20 years in the Department. Can you tell us about that? Yes, in 1999 Dr. Ana E. Campo returned to the department to be the new Director of medical student education for our department. The support staff assigned to that position at that time informed me that she was going to retire and asked
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if I would be interested in her position. I immediately said “yes.” I received a call from Dr. Campo and she wanted to interview me but she still did not have an office nor a desk to work from as she had restarted working only two weeks earlier. She basically worked from anywhere as long as she had a place to set her laptop, agenda book and writing pad. I remember thinking, “Where is she going to interview me, she doesn’t have an office?” She came up with this brilliant idea to interview me at 1:00pm by the Miami Subs, which has since been demolished. There were two big trees and she said
“I feel like I’ve grown up with Cary, working together these last 19 years, almost 20! Very few people have been able to work together as long as we have and still remain friends! The stars aligned back in ’99 and it’s been a great journey.” Dr. Ana E. Campo
that she would meet me at the bench right by the second tree… I chuckled and thought this was going to be an interesting meeting. When I introduced myself she said, “I’m hungry, let’s go to Miami Subs and eat something.” There I was, getting interviewed by my future boss at Miami Subs, eating salad, answering her questions and hoping that I could keep my salad inside my mouth and that my plate would not fall on my lap. Talk about intense anxiety — it was the most unusual interview of my life! But it worked out well, and here we are working together since April 1999, and I could not ask for a better boss! As Dr. Campo’s role has changed and evolved at the medical school, how has your role changed with her? Dr. Campo wears many hats. Her roles and responsibilities are too many to keep
up with. My coworkers tell me that I need a fast scooter to keep up with her. I’ve had to learn to use different computer software, attend training sessions and workshops to be up to par and ready to compile reports that she may need to further advance our curriculum. What are the most rewarding aspects of your job? Most challenging? The most rewarding aspect of my job is when I hear the students say that they had a great time and productive experience in the psychiatry rotation and they wish they could stay longer than the 6-week rotation mandates. I don’t know that I would call it a challenge, but there is certainly a lot of adapting that goes on in my line of work. So I resort to different online modules via the UM U-Learn center which has been a great help to adapt to these, changes allowing me to do my job more effectively. If you weren’t here at the medical school, what would you be doing? Probably teaching young women basic office routines, computer classes, or remedial courses for their high school diploma. When you aren’t here, what do you enjoy doing? Any hobbies? I love attending local arts and crafts festivals and watching HGTV for designing ideas, which I have implemented in my own house — but on a much more budget-friendly basis.
Joining Us in 2018... The UM Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Proudly Welcomes its New Residents and Fellows!
Feras Alkharboush King Saud Univeristy, Riyadh
Abdulrahman Althukair University of Dammam College of Medicine
Walid Aziz, MD Fellow, Addiction Psychiatry
Carolina Blaya Dreher Universidade Federal de Ciencias du Saude de Porto Alegre
Durim “Buzz” Bozhdaraj, MD Fellow, Forensic Psychiatry
Maite Castillo Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Natalie Cummings University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Sarah Denaud, MD Fellow, Child Psychiatry
Nicole Derish, MD Fellow, Child Psychiatry
Zelde Espinel, MD Fellow, Consultation-Liaision
Joshua Frankel , MD Fellow, Child Psychiatry
David Martinez Garza Universidad Autonomade Nuevo Leon
Jessica Healey Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Jacob Kannarkat University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Jordan Levy State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Stephon Martin Boston University School of Medicine
Jessica Mikolowsky University of Queensland
Julia Salinas Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
Shivanshu Shrivastava, MD Fellow, Child Psychiatry
Noah Smith University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville
Amy Waters University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
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FACES
The UM Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences extends a warm welcome to new members of the team: Elyssa Jampolsky Research Associate
Nisha Phoga Research Associate
Valentina Metsavaht Cara Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul
Clinical trials are the backbone of evidence-based medicine. Broadly speaking, clinical trials evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a medical strategy, treatment, or device. Moreover, clinical trials provide an opportunity for the general public to participate in the process of developing novel treatments for a variety of conditions. The results from these clinical trials provide the data necessary to assist in future medical decision-making. The Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences is dedicated to generating the scientific knowledge behind the clinical best practices we incorporate in the treatment of difficult and complex mental health conditions. The Behavioral Research Assessment Center (BRAC) is the research hub that fulfills the Department’s mission to develop the next line of treatments. For more information on participating in available clinical trials, please email brac@miami.edu or call 305.243.5840.
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What to Do & Where to Go For a Mental Health Emergency, CALL 911 if you believe someone is in danger of hurting themselves or others. University of Miami Hospital (UMH) Mental Health Admissions/ER 305.689.4444 Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital Triage 305.355.7332
Silver Alert If your loved one has gone missing, please CALL 911 immediately. Silver Alert is a statewide initiative to involve the public in locating a cognitively impaired person who has gotten lost driving or while on foot. For more information visit florida silveralert.com. Office Numbers Main Psychiatry Appointment Scheduling 305.355.9028 *Option 1
Common Purpose
Transforming lives through teaching, research and service.
Chairman’s Office 305.243.6400
Soffer Clinical Research Center 305.243.2301
Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital 305.355.9028 *Option 2
Courtelis Center 305.243.4129
University of Miami Hospital 305.689.1352
Deerfield Beach 954.571.0117 Center on Aging 305.355.9081
Boca Raton 561.939.4044
Brain Fitness Pavilion 305.355.9080 *English, Option 3
Child & Adolescent 305.355.7077
Memory Disorders Clinic 305.355.9065
The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is committed to: Conduct research that deepens our understanding of the development, pathophysiology, and prevention of psychiatric illness and the nature of human behavior, and apply this knowledge to the development and delivery of more effective, evidence-based treatments.
Offer comprehensive treatment and consultation to our patients, their families, and the community. Provide outstanding mental health education and multidisciplinary training to the next generation of healthcare providers and investigators. DIRECCT Core values l Diversity l Integrity l Responsibility l Excellence l Compassion l Creativity l Teamwork
SAVE THE DATE!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018 Q1| 2018
BRAINSTORMS Quarterly Publication of the University of Miami Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Executive Editor Samantha Richter Soffer Clinical Research Center 1120 NW 14th Street | Suite 1457 Miami, FL 33136
www.GolfUMPsych.com
Health
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HEALTH SYSTEM Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
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