Howard Liu, M.D., named chair of psychiatry

Following a national search, Howard Liu, M.D., has been named chair of the UNMC Department of Psychiatry.

The announcement was made today by Bradley Britigan, M.D., dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. The appointment is effective immediately, pending approval of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

"We had some excellent candidates to consider," Dr. Britigan said. "But, when it came time to make a decision, it was clear that Dr. Liu was the best choice. He stood out from the beginning of the process.

See a photo album of the appointment announcement

"Howard is held in very high esteem and the respect for his leadership skills has been increasingly recognized on our campus over the past 10 years. He has a tremendous knack for connecting with people. In serving as interim chair for nearly a year and holding several other key administrative posts, Howard has demonstrated the ability to sort through complex situations and figure out the best way to get things done. I have complete confidence that he will do a fantastic job of moving the department forward.
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Since 2011, Dr. Liu has been involved with the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN), serving as interprofessional education director from 2011-2012, as medical director from 2012-2014 and as director since 2014. BHECN was created in 2009 when the Nebraska legislature passed LB 603 to address the statewide crisis in mental health access. Housed at UNMC, BHECN has a unique partnership with all of the graduate behavioral health training programs in Nebraska and is dedicated to improving access to behavioral health care across the state.

Under Dr. Liu's leadership, BHECN has thrived, realizing a nearly 15 percent increase in behavioral health providers in Nebraska from 2010-2016. This is an outstanding accomplishment, Dr. Britigan said, especially when you consider that 88 of the 93 counties in the state meet federal criteria for being designated as Mental Health Professions Shortage Areas.

In becoming chair of psychiatry, Dr. Liu has indicated that he plans to step down from his role as director of BHECN.

A child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Liu expressed his appreciation in being selected as chair.

"I am truly honored to serve as the sixth chair of psychiatry," he said. "Having served as interim chair for the past 11 months, I have appreciated the strong leadership teams at UNMC, Nebraska Medicine, and within my department. My vision is for the department to become a champion for innovation in clinical access models, translational research, educational impact, and community engagement.

"We have a legacy as a national leader from our founding in the 1950s and a deep connection to underserved rural and urban communities. I appreciate the groundwork laid by my predecessor, Dr. Steve Wengel, and the opportunity to build a new adult psychiatry residency program in 2020. I know that the best is yet to come as we honor our past and create a vision for an even stronger future for consumers and families with mental health and substance use disorders."

Since 1987, UNMC has had a combined residency program in psychiatry with Creighton University. Pending approval by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), UNMC is in the process of separating from Creighton and opening its own adult psychiatry residency in 2020.

"Having our own residency program is a real watershed moment for the department and for UNMC," Dr. Liu said. "I appreciate the leadership of Dr. Daniel Gih, Dr. Marley Doyle, Dr Steve Wengel and many others in the planning for the new program." In addition, Dr. Liu said he hopes to continue the growth of subspecialty clinics in psychiatry. These include clinics for substance use disorders, women's psychiatry, anxiety disorders and mood disorders and a partnership with community members on forensic psychiatry.

Dr. Liu is an expert on the use of social media for mental health and medical education. If you would like to follow Dr. Liu on Twitter, his profile is @DrHowardLiu.