Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, FAPA
Director
Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, FAPA, a psychiatrist from Atlanta, has diverse experience as a private practicing physician, public health administrator, patient advocate and medical society lobbyist. She was elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees (BOT) in June 2011 and was voted in as Secretary (2014-2015) and Chair (2016-2017). She was elected the 174th President (2019-2020) of the AMA and is currently Immediate Past President.
As past director of Health Services for Fulton County, Ga., which includes Atlanta, Dr. Harris was the county’s chief health officer, overseeing all county health-related programs and functions, including a wide range of public safety, behavioral health, and primary care treatment and prevention services. She spearheaded the county’s efforts to integrate public health, behavioral health and primary care services. Dr. Harris also served as medical director for the Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
Currently, Dr. Harris continues in private practice and consults with both public and private organizations on health service delivery and emerging trends in practice and health policy. She is a Visiting Professor at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Psychiatry, an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine and an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Harris is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.