George A. Keepers, M.D.

Carruthers professor and chair of psychiatry

Here in the Department of Psychiatry at OHSU, we are committed to providing excellent mental health services and resources to our community. As part of a teaching hospital, we have a unique opportunity to foster creativity, innovation, and train providers based on the latest research. We have made important contributions to the field of Psychiatry through our Residency Training, Fellowships, Research Programs, and Community engagement.

Our faculty members and administrative leaders pioneered a much needed improvement for mental healthcare access in Portland by the opening of Unity Center for Behavioral Health in January of 2017. In partnership with Legacy Health, Kaiser Permanente, and Adventist Health, we successfully opened the region’s first comprehensive mental health care center that provides both inpatient and emergency services. Our residents and fellows rotate through the VA, Unity Center, our adult outpatient clinics (both on and off the hill), child outpatient clinic, Oregon State Hospital, as well as other diverse community settings.  The department’s education and training programs have been one of our department’s greatest strengths throughout the years and we will continue to improve our program as our department grows.

We have also seen tremendous growth in psychiatry research over the past decade. As technology advances and our resources to collaborate continue to increase, so does our impact on the world. Our research programs are exploring the intricacies of mental and behavioral neuroscience to improve the way we care for patients with psychiatric disorders.

I encourage you to explore our website and learn about our mission to strive for excellence in education, research, and clinical practice. In doing so, I hope that you can engage our Department by attending our Grand Rounds presentations, participating and supporting our research studies, keeping up with the latest news and publications, and contributing to our programs.