John Gilmore, MD, director of the Network and the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health, Thad and Alice Eure Distinguished Professor and vice chair, Research and Scientific Affairs, in the Department of Psychiatry, welcomed community psychiatrists and other leaders from around the State.
He recognized North Carolina’s AHEC’s Alan Brown and Hugh Tilson for their support and contributions to the Network as well as advisory board attendees: Robin Huffman, NCPA; Marvin Swartz, MD, Duke Medical School; John Diamond, MD, East Carolina Brody Medical School; Jennie Byrne, MD, PhD, private practice and CCNC, and Mike Smith, MD, MPH, Trillium Healthcare Resources, and Craig Martin, MD, Vaya Health.
Carrie Brown, MD, MPH, the chief medical officer for Behavioral Health & IDD for North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services opened the symposium with an update and overview of the State’s transition to Medicaid Managed Care.
Other related discussions included a look at how various organizations are adapting to the changes in the system. Speakers included Craig Martin, MD, chief medical officer, Vaya Health; Jennie Byrne, MD, PhD, private practice owner and associate medical director at CCNC; and Mike Steiner, MD, MPH, UNC Healthcare.
The afternoon program featured Katherine Hobbs-Knutson, MD, MPH, chief behavioral officer Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina, who gave an overview on how a private MCO is driving network integration for behavioral health and substance use disorders. Joseph Vrabel, JD, an attorney and affiliate faculty at UNC’s Kenan Flagler Business School, addressed the legal implications of contracting with individuals and organizations.
“The annual meeting continues to provide community psychiatrists across the state an opportunity to get the latest updates from our state health care leaders, to improve their leadership skills and network with colleagues,” said Gilmore.
Created in 2011 to support North Carolina’s community psychiatrists, the program is a collaboration with North Carolina AHEC.
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A. Hall, MD, C. Martin, MD, H. Tilson, JD, R. Huffman, J. Gilmore, MD, JByrne, MD, PhD, C. Brown, MD, MPH, and Thava Mahadevan, MS, LCAS