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Behavioral Health Network Experts Featured at National Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Meeting

October 11, 2019

Hartford HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Network (BHN) will be well represented this fall at the 66th annual American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) annual meeting, one of the most prestigious research venues in the field.

“At the Behavioral Health Network, we are fortunate to have some of the world’s leading voices in the care of our youngest patients and bright, inquisitive minds examining the trends and searching for new ways to help,” said Dr. John Santopietro, physician-in-chief of the BHN. “This expertise is evidenced by the thought leadership we will have at this important meeting.”

Selected to present their research at the meeting, planned for Oct. 14-19 in Chicago, are:

  • Dr Sivabalaji Kaliamurthy, a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow, who with members of the BHN Substance Use Committee, will present “Teen Vaping Boom: Electronic Cigarette Use, Associated Outcomes, and Efforts in Prevention. Clinical Perspective.”
  • Dr Paul Weigle, associate medical director of Natchaug Hospital Ambulatory Services, who will serve in a variety of capacities during the five-day conference, including leading the meeting for the AACAP’s media committee as its co-chair. He will chair the research symposium entitled, “Children and Screens: New Research Reveals How Digital Media Affects Mental Health,” as well as chair a clinical perspectives presentation of “Logging on to the Positive Role of Technology in Psychiatric Practice.” As part of the latter program, he will present a talk entitled “There’s an App For That: Prescribing Video Games and Smartphone Applications in Clinical Practice.”  Dr. Weigle also will present “The Fight over Fortnite: Helping Parents Moderate Screen Media Habits” as part of a clinical perspectives program “All About Parenting: Science You Can Use in Daily Practice,” and a talk entitled “Screen Time: The Mental Health Effects of Social Media and Gaming” as part of a Research Institute “Techno-Psychiatry: Child Psychiatry in the Digital Age.” He will present a workshop entitled “Understanding Video Games: A Child Psychiatrist’s ‘Call of Duty'” for the seventh year in a row. He will serve as the clinical discussant in a research presentation on “LGBT and Sexting Risks, Behaviors and Attitudes.”
  • Lisa Namerow, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, who will present workshops entitled “Using the S Word:   A Guide to SSRD management” and “Stomaching ARFID.”

During the AACAP annual meeting, there will also be presentations made by teams of BHN providers. Those presentations, by topic, include:

  • “Pharmacogenomics: Update 2019,” a clinical perspective presented by Drs. Namerow and Mirela Loftus, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
  • “Advancements in Autoimmune Encephalopathy: Beyond the Basics,” an institute offered by Drs. Namerow and Kevin Young, a neuropsychologist and psychologist.
  • “Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing: From Percentiles to Projectives” workshop with Drs. Young and Diana Kolcz, a post-doctoral fellow.
  • “Psychosocial Dwarfism: A Case of Nature and Nurture,” by Dr. Loftus, Constance Shean, LCSW, Child Inpatient Services Donnelly 1 South, and Dr. Diana Kolcz, a post-doctoral fellow.
  • “Endocrinology Department CCMC the State of Congregate Care in 2019: Where We’ve Been and Where are We Headed,” by Drs. Loftus and Veeraraghavan Iyer, a fellow, and Kristina Stevens, deputy commissioner.
  • “DCF Homicide and Violence Threat Assessment: A Clinical Perspective from Different Settings,” by Drs. Loftus and Dr. Young representing neuropsychology, and Dr. John Bonetti from forensic psychiatry at the Institute of Living.
  • “The Aftermath of Losing a Patient to Suicide: A Clinician’s Perspective” by Drs. Nisha Withane, a fellow, and Loftus.

For more information on the care and research being conducted in child and adolescent psychiatry at Hartford HealthCare, go to www.hhcbehavioralhealth.org.