Coffee with Clinicians

(From left) Susan Emerson, pediatric CRNP; Melissa Wellner, MD, AAMC child and adolescent psychiatrist; and Michael Clemmens, MD, AAMC medical director of pediatrics, presented on pediatric mental health at Coffee with Clinicians, held on Oct. 4, 2016.

CoffeewithClinicians-Final

Coffee with Clinicians, hosted by the AAMC Foundation, spotlights the work that is happening throughout Anne Arundel Medical Center. This unique opportunity invites community members to talk directly with AAMC medical providers and leaders about the state of healthcare and about AAMC’s future. These moderated discussions give people a chance to ask questions and interact one-on-one with the providers. Discussions take place in the intimate setting of the Doordan Institute on AAMC’s medical park campus.

Coffee with Clinicians, held on Oct. 4, 2016, featured pediatrics and pediatric mental health, which is an immediate crisis in Anne Arundel County. Michael Clemmens, MD, AAMC medical director of pediatrics; Melissa Wellner, MD, AAMC child and adolescent psychiatrist; and Susan Emerson, pediatric CRNP, presented on how AAMC is responding to the crisis. In the last year, we have seen a 13 percent increase in youth under 18 seeking help for mental health issues and illnesses.

Community members asked the panel of medical providers about how they could help respond to this crisis. The team answered with this advice: “Work with us to remove the stigma of mental health,” Dr. Clemmens said. “The more we can do that, the better for everyone. Join a committee, support the programs and beat the drum.”

For more information about Coffee with Clinicians and how to support these care programs, please contact Gabby Pasternak at 443-481-4735 or gpasternak@AAHS.org.

Leave a Reply