Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital has opened a new inpatient unit focused primarily on patients in the early stage of a psychotic disorder and on patients who need the most comprehensive diagnostic clarity and close monitoring.

A $10 million endowed gift will fund translational research, support clinical programs and create an endowed chair within the Department of Psychiatry.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, executive leaders, community partners and Patient and Family Advisory Council members gathered last week for a 1.5-day workshop focused on integrating behavioral health care across the institution.

Stephan Heckers, MD, MSc, William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Schizophrenia Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, was recently recognized by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) with a 2018 Exemplary Psychiatrist Award.

About the same time a Vanderbilt University School of Medicine panel discussion on gun violence prevention ended Feb. 14 in Light Hall, a heavily armed young man barged into his former high school in Parkland, Florida, and opened fire on students and teachers, killing 17 and injuring others.

The 2016 Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health, “Facing Addiction in America,” leaves little question about the growing problem of addiction.

A panel discussion on gun violence prevention, along with a moderated public debate, will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.