WASHINGTON, D.C., June 8, 2020 – The American Psychiatric Association (APA) today issued the following statements to mark the end of Dr. Patrice Harris’ one-year tenure as president of the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s largest medical society with roughly 250,000 members. Dr. Harris is a Fellow of the APA and is a practicing psychiatrist, trained in child/adolescent psychiatry and forensic psychiatry.

“We applaud Dr. Harris for the completion of a successful year as the leader of the AMA ,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A. “She served during a trying time in medicine as the COVID-19 pandemic began to arrive on our shores. She led the AMA as it pushed for resources for doctors on the frontlines and for regulatory changes in Washington to help deliver care to those in need. She was an advocate for promoting evidence-based approaches to the pandemic. We are proud that a psychiatrist was able to lead the AMA during this time of great anxiety.”

Ken Certa, M.D., an APA Board of Trustee and the senior APA delegate to the AMA, added: “Dr. Harris was the perfect spokesperson for the AMA, especially during this time of COVID-19. The AMA was a voice of reason when conflicting messages were coming out of Washington.”

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 38,800 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information please visit www.psychiatry.org.