Podcast Committee
Chair, David Brody, M.D.

NYCPS Podcasts

Patient Fallacies (1/6/21)
Becoming A Doctor's Doctor (12/17/20)
Developments in The Treatment of Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymic Disorder) (3/9/20)
Finding a Behavioral Health Specialist Who Accepts Insurance (11/19/19)
Psychiatric Pharmacogenomics (11/19/19)
Current Issues in Addiction Psychiatry (10/25/19)

Click to listen to: Patient Fallacies

After a career spanning almost five decades, Dr. Michael Serby, NYCPS Past President and professor of psychiatry at Mt. Sinai, reflects on psychiatry in general and his practice in particular. He notes that many patients come to the session with fallacious beliefs about psychiatric treatment, including the notion that psychotherapy is always preferable to medication treatment and that so-called natural products of the sort purchased in a health food store, are as helpful or more helpful than any treatment prescribed by a doctor. Dr. David Brody, Chair of the Digital Media Committee and also Past President of NYCPS, interviews Dr. Serby in this podcast.

Posted 1/6/21

Click to listen to: Becoming A Doctor's Doctor

In his latest book, a memoir, Dr. Michael Myers, a NYCPS member and practicing psychiatrist, discusses how he came to specialize in treating other physicians, how stigma can make it difficult for physicians to access psychiatric care, and what’s different (or not) about having a doctor as a patient. Dr. Myers was interviewed by Dr. David Roane, NYCPS Immediate Past-President.

Posted 12/17/20

Click to listen to: Developments in The Treatment of Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymic Disorder)

In this 20-minute podcast, Dr. David Brody interviews David Hellerstein, MD about the history and latest developments in the treatment of Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD), formerly Dysthymic Disorder. Once thought to be a condition only suitable for psychotherapeutic treatment, Dr. Hellerstein and colleagues demonstrated that conventional antidepressants were as effective, if not more effective, in treating PDD. Dr. Brody also engages Dr. Hellerstein in a discussion about new treatment avenues, including the use of psilocybin.

Dr. Hellerstein is a respected researcher and clinician. In addition to his many scientific articles on the psychopharmacology of depression, he is also the author of several non-medical books including his biographical novel, “A Family of Doctors” as well as his book, “Battles of Life and Death: The Discoveries of a Young Doctor During His Medical Education.” In the spirit of Dr. Goldberg, Dr. Hellerstein has used the internet to disseminate psychiatric knowledge as well as caution us to the complexities that come with such technological advancement. Dr. Hellerstein is the Editor-in-Chief of Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry’s website.

Posted 3/9/20

Click to listen to: Finding a Behavioral Health Specialist Who Accepts Insurance

For individuals with health insurance, accessing in-network behavioral healthcare is often frustrating. Psychiatrists and psychotherapists listed on a health plan’s website as participating providers often are not in the network or are not accepting new in-network referrals. Patients are often forced to see an out-of-network specialist or rely on their primary care provider for behavioral healthcare. Employers are frustrated by the loss of productivity that follows poorly treated or untreated psychiatric disorders in the workforce. Health plans are increasingly concerned about the higher cost of care for members with comorbid behavior health and medical conditions. All of the principal stakeholders would appear to have similar incentives and goals. So why doesn’t the system work?

Three panelists present their views on barriers to accessing behavioral healthcare as well as current approaches to breaking down those roadblocks, while Dr. David Brody moderates.

David Brody, MD, is a Past President of NYCPS, Chair of the Digital Media Committee, and in full-time, independent practice in NYC.

Rachel A. Fernbach, Esq. is Deputy Director and Assistant General Counsel of the New York State Psychiatric Association, the medical specialty association of psychiatrists practicing in New York and a division of the American Psychiatric Association.

Henry Harbin, MD, is a psychiatrist with over 40 years of experience in the behavioral health field. He has held a number of senior positions in both public and private health care organizations. He worked for 10 years in the public mental health system in Maryland during the 1980s, serving as Director of the state mental health authority for three of those years.

Bruce Schwartz, MD, is currently the Deputy Chairman, Clinical Director and a Professor of Psychiatry in of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Schwartz serves as the President of the Montefiore Behavioral Care IPA and is the Medical Director and founding member of University Behavioral Associates, a behavioral health management services organization.

Posted 11/19/19

Click to listen to: Psychiatric Pharmacogenomics

For the practicing psychiatric clinician, it is increasingly important to understand the science and evidence base supporting the use of pharmacogenomic testing. Many companies now offer genetic testing that claims to give prescribers useful information about which psychiatric medication is most likely to work. There is controversy about these claims, with research supporting the utility of these tests and research arguing that an experienced clinician can do as well without the genetic information. This interview, recorded in 2017, presents the views of two physicians- Dr. David Krause and Dr. Samuel Sharmat, who argue for the usefulness of psychiatric pharmacogenomic testing. Dr. David Brody, the interviewer, is skeptical, and as the author of this paragraph, would argue that in 2019 not much has changed.

Posted 11/19/19

Click to listen to: Current Issues in Addiction Psychiatry

In this podcast, Dr. Jose Vito speaks with Drs. Jeremy Kidd and Daniel Suter about addiction psychiatry. Their conversation centers around marijuana legalization, CBD and the opioid crisis. They provide updates on the current evidence base for therapeutic uses of THC and CBD, discuss buprenorphine as a treatment for OUD, and address some of the cultural ramifications of marijuana legalization and the current opioid crisis. They provide a number of resources for practitioners to learn more, including the Provider Clinical Support System and the APA Learning Center.

Jose Vito, MD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU Langone Health. He is Board Certified in Child and Adolescent as well as Addiction Psychiatry, has a private practice in NYC, and is an invested educator, supervisor, and mentor for trainees in the field of psychiatry.

Jeremy Kidd, MD, MPH is an addiction psychiatrist and post-doctoral research fellow at Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute. He serves on the Executive Council for NYCPS and runs a private practice with a focus on mental health in the LGBTQ population and addiction.

Daniel Suter, MD, is a fourth-year and Chief Resident at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He will be pursuing an Addiction Fellowship after residency with a focus on harm reduction practices and public psychiatry.

Posted 10/25/2019

*If you would like more information about this committee, please contact us at [email protected].