Message From Chair

      MMHC is alive and well, albeit with some uncertainties about the future. On the alive and well side, we are fully functional at our two new locations�the Landmark Center for the academic folks, and the Shattuck Hospital for the clinicians and clinical teachers. As Chair I divide my time between the two locations.

      Two promotions to professor this past academic year: Jill Goldstein, PhD and Larry Seidman, PhD. Both exemplify not only outstanding accomplishments but also our collaboration with other Harvard Hospitals. Jill is the recently appointed Director of Research at the Women's Health Center at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. Larry continues his long, close association with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The Clinical Research Center's State funded budget was renewed at the $1M level for this academic year. We are moving ahead under Larry Seidman's direction, focusing on first episode of psychotic disorders, and on the prodromal experience of pre-psychotic patients. I am hopeful to spend some of my own time as a staff psychiatrist in this working group. Our two neuroscientist faculty members Wilson Woo, PhD,

MD and Jim Quattrochi, PhD (JQ) continue to work productively in their chosen areas, to publish, and to apply for new funding. Under JQ's leadership we are developing a new, internet-based interactive teaching program for neuroscience that will be part of the core clinical psychiatry clerkship at MMHC starting this fall.

      On the uncertain side, the future of MMHC as an HMS affiliated institution continues under discussion. Will we continue as an independent appointing department or will we affiliate/merge with one or more of the other Harvard Hospitals? Stay tuned.  The building: Several developers responded to the State's RFP for the new MMHC building at 74 Fenwood Road . The state will decide on a winner in late September. We believe we will return to the site -best estimates are in the range of four to five years from now. Money is tight; expenses are rising; it's not clear where the income is coming from, but as always our Continuing Medical Education Program under Larry Lifson, MD and Carl Salzman, MD provide much of the funding that permits us to fund some discretionary projects.

Morale continues high.

James C. Beck, MD, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Acting Chair, HMS Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts Mental Health Center