More than 150 people attended the 13th annual Behavioral Health Conference at Flushing Hospital on Friday, November 13th, 2015. The event was co-sponsored by the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Services and the Department of Risk Management. This year’s topic was Adam and Eve: Can They Share the Apple? The Evolving Role of Relationships for Men and Women in Healthcare and the Larger Culture.
The purpose of the conference was to explore the evolving role relationships between men and women in American culture and, more specifically, in the healthcare workplace.
The conference began with welcoming remarks by Seeth Vivek, MD, Chairman of Psychiatry and introductory remarks by Anthony Maffia, LCSW, Vice-President, Psychiatry and Addiction Services.
The keynote speaker, Rosalind Barnett PhD, a Senior Scientist at the Women’s Studies Research Center of Brandeis University discussed The New Soft War on Women: Subtle Barriers that Impede Women’s Progress in the Workplace. Special Invited speaker, Ann Marie T. Sulliva MD, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health addressed The Role of Psychiatry and the Mental Health Professions in the Evolving Cultural Roles between Men and Women.
The afternoon session was an integrative symposium which was chaired by Ms. Carmen James, Director of Risk Management at Flushing Hospital. It consisted of four brief presentations by MediSys Health System faculty and a round table discussion.
The presentations generated a lively and spirited discussion amongst the panel members and the audience.
Dr. Frankel, Conference Co-Chair said, “The 13th Annual Behavioral Health Conference was a resounding success and demonstrated again by attendance and audience participation the central role that behavior and its change plays in modern healthcare.” The planning committee is looking forward to the 14th Annual Conference in November 2016.”