Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune has partnered with Novant Health and others to introduce a new psychiatric residency program in southeastern North Carolina.
A 2022 study evaluating access to mental health care across the nation ranked North Carolina, along with other Southern states, in the bottom third, according to a recent Novant Health press release.
Rural areas in particular are suffering from declining populations, according to the release.
“Untreated mental illness is known to lead to a range of negative consequences, from poor quality of life and problems at work and home, to drug use, overdose, homelessness, incarceration and suicide.” , said Dr. Julia Triggs, a Wilmington-based psychiatrist at Novant Health. release.
Triggs has helped lead planning activities for the residency.
According to the release, Novant Health is working with Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune as well as UNC to train more doctors in southeastern North Carolina and strengthen the pipeline of much-needed mental health doctors. It also partnered with Health and the UNC School of Medicine to launch the program. .
The release added that the partnership will ensure residents have training opportunities to care for a variety of patients, including military personnel, and provide first-hand experience in treating conditions such as PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
“Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune greatly appreciates the collaborative partnership we have established with Novant Health New Hanover Medical Center over the years,” said Kevin, Director of Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune. U.S. Navy Captain Brown said in a release. “The launch of the Integrated Psychiatric Program will enable us to provide much-needed care to the residents of southeastern North Carolina and to the beneficiaries of our military who are working to keep our country safe around the world.”
There is also a shortage of psychiatrists nationwide, and the program will help solve that problem, Release said.
“Increasing the number of psychiatrists and other trained mental health providers is key to solving these challenges,” said Novant Health Psychiatry and Mental Health Institute Psychiatrist and System. Senior internist Dr. Samuel Pullen said in a release. “We must increase the number of mental health providers to ensure timely care is received in all the communities we serve.”
The release explains that the first seven psychiatric residents will start a four-year program in June 2024. This class includes both military and civilian physicians and performs clinical rotations at both Novant Health New Hanover Medical Center and Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune.
The release added that Novant Health recently obtained the necessary approval from the Graduate Medical Education Accreditation Council to formally move forward to complete the steps necessary to begin the training program next year. there is
“We are thrilled that our organizations can work together to advance this important opportunity to train more psychiatrists,” said Joe Pino, Ph.D., senior vice president of medical education at Novant Health. said in the release. “This new training will help increase the number of doctors serving in the military in southeastern North Carolina.”
According to the release, Novant Health already operates residency programs in Wilmington in several specialties, including family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery.
Novant Health will also partner with the UNC School of Medicine, Novant Health Pender Medical Center and Black River Health Services to launch a new local course in the family medicine residency program in July 2024.
Dr. Johnny Gurkin, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UNC, said in a release that he was grateful and proud to contribute to the development and implementation of this project.
“Working with the Novant Health and Naval Medical Center and Camp Lejeune psychiatrists to increase access to professional treatment within the North Carolina and military communities is my job as a clinician, educator and consultant. It represents some of the most meaningful work we’ve done to date,” Gherkin said. “UNC Health and UNC Psychiatry look forward to continued collaboration to achieve and sustain high-fidelity, innovative, contextually effective psychiatric training.”
Morgan Sterling can be reached at mstarling@jdnews.com.