Three Minnesota Psychiatrists
Honored by NAMI

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) honored 30 doctors as "Exemplary Psychiatrists" at the annual conference of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in Washington, DC, May 3 – 8, 2008. Of the honorees, NAMI national executive director Michael J. Fitzpatrick said, "We are proud to honor 30 psychiatrists from 21 states, who are stars within the nation’s mental healthcare system. They each have shown an exemplary commitment to treatment and recovery for people with severe mental illnesses, who often are among the nation’s most vulnerable populations."

Three Minnesota psychiatrists were selected for the awards: Susan C. Jenkins, MD (Rochester); Christine Sigurdson, MD (Byron); and L. Read Sulik, MD, FAAP (St. Cloud). Sue Abderholden, NAMI Minnesota Executive Director, remarked, “We salute these psychiatrists for providing leadership in their field. Their dedication to excellence makes a life-changing difference for children and adults recovering from serious mental illnesses.”

The annual "Exemplary Psychiatry Awards" recognize psychiatrists who have "gone the extra mile" in providing excellent clinical care, educating family members and consumers, educating the public and helping to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness. They also have worked with NAMI members in their communities as advocates for research, social services, insurance parity, and other needs. The awards carry special distinction because honorees are nominated by the very people who need and receive their help the most: individuals and families who are affected by mental illness. Support for the awards is provided by Eli Lilly and Company and Janssen, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

NAMI 2008 Exemplary Psychiatrist Awards

• California - Roxy F. Szeftel, MD
• Florida - Juan F. Rios, MD
• Georgia - Farrell H. Braziel, MD & Winston R. Pineda, MD
• Iowa - Bruce Sieleni, MD & Nancy A. Williams, MD
• Kentucky - Charles I. Shelton, DO
• Massachusetts - Michael A. Jenike, MD
• Michigan - Michele Reid, MD & Manuel E. Tancer, MD
• Minnesota - Susan C. Jenkins, MD; Christine Sigurdson, MD;& L. Read Sulik, MD, FAAP
• Missouri - Azfar M. Malik, MD, MBA, FAPA
• Nevada - Mark William Viner, MD
• New Mexico - Juan R. Bustillo, MD
• New Jersey - William P. Hayes, MD
• New York - Spencer Eth, MD
• Ohio - Rafay Atiq, MD; Todd Ivan, MD; & S. R. Thorward, MD
• Oklahoma - Bruce C. Stanton, MD
• Oregon - Jocelyn W. Bonner, MD
• Pennsylvania - Steven J. Siegel, MD, PhD & Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, MD
• Rhode Island - Achina P. Stein, DO
• Tennessee - Clifton R. Tennison, Jr., MD
• Texas - Sylvia Muzquiz-Drummond, MD
• Virginia - James M. Laster, MD, MPH & M. Lawrence Spoont, MD

Congratulations, Dr. Sulik!

Longtime MACMH Board member Dr. L. Read Sulik will be stepping down from the MACMH Board of Directors in November of this year to begin his tenure as the new Assistant Commissioner for Chemical and Mental Health Services for the state of Minnesota. In his new position, Dr. Sulik will be responsible for State Operated Services programs serving people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, chemical dependency and traumatic brain injury and the Adult Mental Health, Children’s Mental Health and Chemical Health divisions. When announcing the appointment, Cal Ludeman, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, noted that “we are fortunate to have someone with Read’s clinical background and leadership experience as we build on significant progress already made in developing effective and accountable mental health and chemical health systems as well as development of SOS as an organization committed to high-quality care, continuous learning and innovation, stewardship of resources, effective communication and being an employer of choice.”

Many MACMH Conference attendees know Dr. Sulik as an inspirational and though-provoking presenter, while those in the world of healthcare know him as the Medical Director for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the St. Cloud Hospital/CentraCare Health System. And many St. Cloud residents know Sulik as a visionary who put his heart and soul into the building of Clara's House, a partial-hospitalization clinic for children and adolescents with mental illness. Most recently Sulik has been working to develop the CentraCare Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Initiative, which involves mental health screening, assessments, collaboration and treatment in the primary care clinics across the CentraCare Health System. In addition to his professional credentials as a child and adolescent psychiatrist and pediatrician, Dr. Sulik also has many honors and awards to his credit. In 2007 the Minnesota Psychiatric Society named him the Psychiatrist of the Year and in 2008 he received the Society’s Distinguished Service Award. In 2008 he also received the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ Exemplary Psychiatrist Award.

Dr. Sulik, whose appointment will be effective November 3, replaces Wes Kooistra, who has accepted a position as chief financial officer for the Metropolitan Council. During the brief interim, Loren Colman, DHS Assistant Commissioner for Continuing Care, will oversee Chemical and Mental Health Services. Dr. Sulik’s appointment to this key position mean that his tireless efforts to enhance mental health policy and services will now benefit all of Minnesota’s children and families.