CHICAGO — Patrice Harris, M.D., M.A., a longtime psychiatrist-member of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), was elected today as President-Elect of the American Medical Association (AMA).Harris served on the AMA Board of Trustees beginning in 2011 and served as secretary in 2014-2015 and as chair in 2016-2017. As a practicing psychiatrist trained in child/adolescent and forensic psychiatry, she consults with both public and private organizations on health service delivery. She is also chair of the AMA Opioid Task Force and is an adjunct assistant professor in the Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.“I’m elated that Dr. Harris has been elected President of the AMA,” said APA President Altha Stewart, M.D. “This is a great day for the APA and for psychiatry. The APA Board of Trustees looks forward to continuing to work with her as both organizations collaborate to increase patient access to care and improve the practice of medicine.”Harris, an APA member who also served on the APA Board of Trustees, previously served as the Director of Health Services in Fulton County, Ga., and the head of the Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. As chief health officer for Fulton County, she spearheaded efforts to integrate public health, behavioral health and primary care. She is a past president of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association.“We are delighted to have a psychiatrist and a former APA Board of Trustees member leading the house of medicine as President-Elect of the AMA,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A. “Her election demonstrates how psychiatrists can be leaders in medicine. We look forward to working with Dr. Harris on continued advocacy for improving the quality of care and integrating psychiatry and mental health within medicine.”American Psychiatric AssociationThe American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,800 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information please visit www.psychiatry.org.