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.
"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."
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 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.
The Liu file
Education
2000 – B.A., history/biology (magna cum laude), Northwestern University
2004 – M.D., University of Michigan Medical School
2004-2007 – Residency, adult psychiatry, University of Michigan Hospitals
2007-2009 – Fellowship, child and adolescent psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital, Boston
2017-2019 – Executive MBA (in process), University of Colorado Business School
UNMC positions
2009-2011 – Instructor, psychiatry
2011-2015 – Assistant professor, psychiatry
2015-present – Associate professor, psychiatry
Feb. 2018 – Interim chair, psychiatry
2013-2015 – Director of faculty development programs, UNMC Office of Academic Affairs
2015-2018 – Assistant vice chancellor for faculty development, UNMC Office of Academic Affairs
2016-2018 – Committee Co-chair, Education Council, UNMC
BHECN positions/highlights
2011-2012 – Interprofessional education director
2012-2014 – Medical director
2014-present – Director
2016 – BHECN awarded the National Council for Behavioral Health Champions of Training and Workforce Development Award
2018 – BHECN received five-year, $3.7 million collaborative grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
2018 – BHECN selected for the Annapolis Coalition for the Behavioral Health Workforce Award for Innovation
Honors and awards
2012 – Flint Award in Educational Excellence, UNMC Department of Psychiatry
2013 – Innovations Award, Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry
2014 – Outstanding Teacher Award, UNMC Faculty Senate
2015 – Co-founder, Interprofessional Academy of Educators, UNMC
2016 – National Advisory Council for the Clinical Scholars Program, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
2017 – Canedy Scholarship to complete an Executive MBA in Health Administration at the University of Colorado Business School
2018 – Award for Creativity in Psychiatric Education, American College of Psychiatrists
Other
Reviewer – Six different psychiatric journals
Presenter – 88 scientific conferences/seminars (including multiple presentations on the use of social media by physicians)
What others are saying:
"It has been a great pleasure and privilege working with Howard since he joined our department 10 years ago. He is extremely well qualified to lead the department and brings great vision and passion to the position. But, to me, the most impressive trait he brings is his focus on the individual – he knows the faculty and staff, he remembers our birthdays, and he hand-writes notes of gratitude and encouragement. That comes from the heart – you don’t learn that in a leadership seminar."
Steven Wengel, M.D., assistant vice chancellor for campus wellness for UNO and UNMC
"Howard is organized, determined and confident in leading and growing the Department of Psychiatry. I often compliment his diplomacy in difficult meetings, never losing his cool. He’s a foodie at heart and enjoys networking over a meal."
Jeanne Lincoln, administrator, psychiatry
"I have known Dr. Howard Liu for over 12 years. (He was two years ahead of me in residency training.) His energy and conscientiousness are among his greatest strengths.
"Whenever I travel to professional conferences, I am impressed with how well he has networked with our discipline's thought leaders. Dr. Liu has an impressive national reputation and has held a number of organizational leadership positions.
"Dr. Liu has been ahead of the curve in educational innovation and workforce development. He is an early adopter and active user of social media for promoting medical education and advocacy. Dr. Liu is a rare person who is truly visionary in seeing where psychiatry is going.
"More importantly, I have seen a positive attitude and behavior change in our department during Howard’s time as interim chair. In the past year, he has developed a new cultural standard which has made a palpable difference in raising expectations and performance. These changes which will help UNMC improve its ability to be a regional and national leader in academic psychiatry.
"Speaking as the chair for our new psychiatry residency program taskforce, I know we will be successful in developing a top tier program with Dr. Liu's support.
"I congratulate Dr. Liu in his new role. Nebraska is fortunate to have him."
Daniel Gih, M.D., associate professor, psychiatry
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