Georgia Physician Patrice Harris Newly Elected to AMA Board of Trustees

CHICAGO, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Patrice A. Harris, M.D., a psychiatrist from Atlanta, Ga., was elected today as a new member of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest and most influential physician organization.

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"I look forward to serving the AMA as a member of the board of trustees," said Dr. Harris. "My vision for our AMA is physicians working together for a healthier future, a healthier practice environment, a healthier population and a healthier collaboration within the federation of medicine."

Dr. Harris has been active in organized medicine for her entire career. She has served as a member of the AMA Women Physicians Congress and was chair of the AMA Council on Legislation. She has also served on the board and as president of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association and on the Medical Association of Georgia's Council on Legislation and Committee on Constitution and Bylaws. Dr. Harris is also the founding president of the Georgia Psychiatry political action committee.

In her current role as the Director of Health Services for Fulton County, Ga., Dr. Harris directs all county health services, including health partnerships that deliver a wide range of public safety, behavioral health and primary care treatment and prevention services. She also maintains her own private psychiatry practice in Atlanta.

Dr. Harris received her medical degree from the West Virginia University School of Medicine and completed a psychiatry residency and child psychiatry fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine.

About the American Medical Association (AMA)

The American Medical Association helps doctors help patients by uniting physicians nationwide to work on the most important professional, public health and health policy issues. The nation's largest physician organization plays a leading role in shaping the future of medicine. For more information on the AMA, please visit www.ama-assn.org.

SOURCE American Medical Association