Inpatient Psychiatrist - Wellstar Cobb Hospital

The MD/DO filling this new role will work either a traditional Monday-Friday schedule or a 7 days on/7 days off schedule to provide care to patients in the inpatient behavioral health unit who are experiencing psychiatric crises stemming from mood and psychotic disorders, substance use disorders, etc.

Overview of Duties/Responsibilities

This is a full-time position, with time allocated to the provision of inpatient psychiatric services. Services are provided at Wellstar's general adult inpatient behavioral health unit, located on the Wellstar Cobb Hospital campus. The psychiatrist functions as a member of the WellStar Medical Group's Behavioral Health team and as a member of a broader multi-disciplinary team comprised of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, case managers, mental health associates, medical students, etc.

The psychiatrist will obtain and maintain hospital privileges at WellStar Cobb Hospital and will have responsibilities for overseeing the work of an advanced practitioner.

Primary clinical responsibilities include the following:

• Conduct thorough record reviews
• Conduct mental status evaluations and comprehensive psychiatric assessments of patients presenting with acute psychiatric and substance-related conditions
• Render accurate diagnoses
• Conduct collateral interviews with family members and others to ensure accurate understanding of patient history, precipitating events, etc.
• Consult as needed with other Wellstar psychiatrists
• Review, assign, and when optimal convert legal holds to voluntary admission status
• File petitions for extended inpatient behavioral health care, when needed
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to develop individualized treatment plans and ensure optimal care coordination
• Prescribe and manage medications, adjusting treatment plans as necessary to ensure optimal patient outcomes
• Provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling, and psychoeducation to patients and their families
• Perform risk assessments
• Develop evidence-based safety plans and relapse prevention plans for patients at high risk of suicidal self-directed violence or substance-related conditions
• Coordinate care and treatment with social workers, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals to ensure seamless continuity of care
• Collaborate with outpatient mental health providers and primary care physicians to develop and implement individualized care plans
• Monitor patients' progress, identify barriers to recovery, and implement appropriate interventions to promote successful transition to community-based care
• Communicate effectively with external providers, community resources, and social service agencies to facilitate access to necessary support services
• Oversee the work of a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, ensuring quality and safety at all times

Other responsibilities include:

• Collaborate with other departments (e.g., Emergency Medicine, Graduate Medical Education, Hospital Medicine)
• Provide educational/didactic opportunities for medical students, medical residents, and other trainees
• Participate in the evening psychiatric call rotation
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date electronic health records, documenting patient assessments, treatment plans, interventions, and outcomes via Epic
• Adhere to all relevant legal and ethical guidelines, ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations and professional standards
• Collaborate with quality improvement initiatives, participate in case reviews, and contribute to ongoing program improvement

Required Minimum Education:

• Completion of a medical degree (MD/DO)
• Completion of general ACGME psychiatry residency training program
• License to practice psychiatry in the State of Georgia
• ABPN board-certification (or board-eligibility)