Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. yesterday announced that Dr. Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors effective October 26, 2023.
Dr. Harris is board-certified in psychiatry and has diverse experience as a private practicing physician, public health director and patient advocate. Active in organized medicine throughout her 25-year career, Dr. Harris previously served on the Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and was an APA delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA). In 2019, Dr. Harris was elected as the 174th President of the AMA, the first African American woman to ever hold the position in which she served until 2020. She also previously served as Chair of the AMA’s Opioid Task Force and on AMA work groups devoted to health information technology, sustainable growth rate and private contracting. Currently, Dr. Harris continues in private practice and is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of eMed Digital Healthcare, a digital healthcare company she co-founded in 2020.
Dr. Harris’ medical leadership positions at the state level include serving on the Board and as President of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association and on the Medical Association of Georgia’s Council on Legislation, its Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, and its Membership Task Force. She was also the founding president of the Georgia Psychiatry Political Action Committee. As past director of Health Services for Fulton County, Ga., which includes Atlanta, Dr. Harris was the county’s Chief Health Officer, overseeing all county health-related programs and functions, including a wide range of public safety, behavioral health, and primary care treatment and prevention services.
She is a Visiting Professor at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Psychiatry, an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine and an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Harris is a Fellow of the APA. Dr. Harris received her B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Counseling Psychology and M.D. from West Virginia University.
“Patrice is among the most respected leaders in healthcare policy and practice, and she brings deep clinical expertise in areas core to Acadia’s business, including mental health and substance abuse,” said Reeve B. Waud, Chairman of the Board of Acadia Healthcare. “We know that Patrice’s experience and work integrating public health, behavioral health and primary care services will be valuable to Acadia’s success and our continued growth as the leading behavioral healthcare services provider.”
“We are proud of the significant progress we are making in executing our strategy through our defined growth pathways, extending our market reach to more communities and adding service lines to new states,” said Chris Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of Acadia. “We are delighted to welcome Patrice to the Board and expect her deep clinical experience to help us build on this momentum.”
“I greatly admire Acadia’s commitment to setting the standard for excellence in the treatment of mental health and addiction concerns. I look forward to working closely with the Board to ensure Acadia delivers on this mission, which has never been more critical to communities across the country. I am excited to be part of Acadia’s growth and the quality care it provides,” said Dr. Harris.
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