Katherine Gantz Pannel is a psychiatrist.

Psychiatrists can be valuable vaccine educators

Physician
July 22, 2021

When watching the news or reading articles about COVID-19, the physicians who contribute are often in internal medicine, epidemiology, emergency medicine, etc. You do not typically see psychiatrists contributing to discussions on the virus itself but more about the mental health ramifications of COVID-19.

Psychiatrists are also not often considered integral in the role of vaccine educators. But I argue that they, in fact, play a vital role in educating a …

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Psychiatrists can be valuable vaccine educators

The COVID winter is coming. The time to prepare is now.

Conditions and Diseases
November 10, 2020

The motto of the House of Stark from Game of Thrones is “winter is coming.” The meaning is a warning to remain vigilant as there are troubling times ahead. This motto applies to both mental illness and the COVID pandemic.  There was a brief time where we saw improvements in case numbers and deaths. People began to see small snippets of normalcy again. It gave everyone false hope that normalcy …

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The COVID winter is coming. The time to prepare is now.

We will soon see a mental health pandemic that will cause unnecessary deaths

Conditions and Diseases
May 29, 2020

Consents have become a prominent part of health care. We sign consents for visits, procedures, medication, privacy, release of information, care of minors … the list goes on and on. We must acknowledge and respect the patient’s autonomy in their care. This is never more apparent or more important than in end of life care. Physicians encourage everyone to have an end of life plan, a living will. It is …

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We will soon see a mental health pandemic that will cause unnecessary deaths

Independent practice and the lost art of touch

Physician
March 18, 2020

I am a geriatric psychiatrist and am an osteopathic physician. The art of touch is a major part of my practice. I am the medical director of an inpatient geriatric facility. The patients that I see on the unit are typically suffering from dementia with behavioral disturbance. They are often agitated and anxious. For me, touch is an integral part of their care and healing.

I find that when interviewing these …

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Independent practice and the lost art of touch

A psychiatrist’s mental health advice during a pandemic

Conditions and Diseases
March 16, 2020

Every Saturday is my “self-care Saturday.” As a psychiatrist, I believe that self-care is critical to good mental health. However, as I started my long run on an empty University trail where college students typically abound, my motivation for running lessened. I did not feel like I had the energy for a run. It was at that moment that I realized that the coronavirus, while not affecting me physically, was, …

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A psychiatrist’s mental health advice during a pandemic

Have you forgotten the most important health care leadership skill?

Physician
September 4, 2019

Physician burnout is a hot topic right now. Some don’t agree with the term and choose to use “moral injury.” Regardless of the term you want to use, the problem is real. Christina Maslach describes burnout as “an erosion of the soul caused by a deterioration of one’s values, dignity, spirit, and will.” I think that sums it up nicely. And while we’ve identified this as a major issue amongst …

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Have you forgotten the most important health care leadership skill?

Is there parity in mental health or are we still dealing with a paucity?

Conditions and Diseases
October 11, 2018

With the recent 10-year anniversary of the Mental Health Parity Act being signed into law, comes the reminder that we still have so much work to be done. Unfortunately, blatant discrimination in health insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse has continued despite this legislation. The Parity Act required that dollar limits on mental health benefits be no lower than the dollar limits for medical and surgical benefits offered …

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Is there parity in mental health or are we still dealing with a paucity?

The Medicare merry-go-round in geriatric psychiatry

Physician
May 28, 2018

Martha (not her real name) was not an overly complex case in my field of geriatric psychology. But the case was complex enough to require multiple approaches and reliable follow up. And in rural Mississippi, follow up can be elusive. Soon it occurred to me that Martha’s case is emblematic of how caring for this vulnerable population often runs up against a huge problem — the Medicare merry-go-round.

A 78-eight-year-old with …

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The Medicare merry-go-round in geriatric psychiatry