Dr. Patrice A. Harris, a nationally recognized psychiatrist and health policy leader, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Acadia Healthcare, effective October 26, 2023. The move underscores Acadia’s strategy to strengthen clinical and policy expertise as it expands services in mental health and addiction care across the United States.
Board-certified in psychiatry, Dr. Patrice A. Harris brings a multifaceted career spanning clinical practice, public health administration, medical society leadership and health policy advocacy. She served as the 174th president of the American Medical Association from 2019 to 2020, becoming the first African American woman to hold that office. Her tenure in organized medicine includes service on the boards of the American Psychiatric Association and numerous American Medical Association councils and work groups, including roles addressing opioid policy, health information technology and legislative affairs.
At the state level, Dr. Harris has held prominent leadership posts in Georgia. She served on the board and as president of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association, participated on the Medical Association of Georgia’s Council on Legislation and other governance committees, and was the founding president of the Georgia Psychiatry Political Action Committee. Her public health leadership included serving as director of Health Services for Fulton County, Georgia, where she was the county’s chief health officer and led efforts to integrate public health, behavioral health and primary care services.
Education and early career achievements shaped Dr. Harris’s longstanding commitment to children’s health and service. A graduate of West Virginia University, she holds a B.A. in psychology, an M.A. in counseling psychology and an M.D. She completed psychiatry residency and fellowships in child psychiatry and forensics at Emory University, and later served as the Barton senior policy fellow at the Emory University School of Law. Honors include being named Psychiatrist of the Year by the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association in 2001 and induction into the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2007.
Dr. Harris has been an authoritative voice on a range of public health issues, delivering invited lectures and media commentary on the opioid epidemic, prescription drug availability and cost, childhood trauma, mental health parity, integration of services, health equity and the intersection of athletics and health. Her media appearances have included major national outlets, and she has advised public and private organizations on health service delivery and emerging practice trends.
In addition to her private practice, Dr. Harris is an academic and entrepreneur. She holds adjunct professorships at Emory University and additional academic appointments, and is a visiting professor at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. In 2020 she co-founded eMed Digital Healthcare and serves as its chief executive officer, reflecting her interest in digital models that broaden access to care.
Acadia’s selection of Dr. Harris to its board reflects the company’s emphasis on clinical leadership as it operates a nationwide network of behavioral healthcare facilities. Her background in clinical psychiatry, behavioral health integration and health policy positions her to contribute to governance as the provider seeks to extend its market reach and enhance quality of care for patients with mental health and substance use disorders.