NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore awards Mental Health Professional of the Year to doctor with unique personal approach to engaging patients
Sheppard Pratt Health System is pleased to share that Dr. Edward Zuzarte, service chief of the Psychotic Disorders Unit, is the recipient of NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore’s 2014 Frances J. Lentz Mental Health Professional of the Year award for his dedication and hard work to better mental health care.
The award is presented each year to an exemplary mental health professional that goes above and beyond his or her professional duties to improve the lives of patients and their families, and is named in honor of Frances J. Lentz, a former NAMI volunteer, who made a big impact in the lives of people with mental illness.
“In our minds, NAMI’s selection of Dr. Zuzarte for this award is a no-brainer,” said Dr. Steven S. Sharfstein, president and chief executive officer of Sheppard Pratt Health System. “In his tenure at Sheppard Pratt Health System, he has time and time again gone out of his way to support his patients and ensure we are providing the best mental health care throughout our health system.”
The award was presented Monday, September 15, at NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore’s 31st Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner.
In the award program NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore writes, “Dr. Zuzarte’s work with individuals living with mental illness and their families at Sheppard Pratt and Mosaic Community Services exemplifies the mission and values of NAMI. He is recognized as a mental health professional who works tirelessly in support of his patients. His colleagues and patients note that his efficacy comes not only from his medical knowledge but from his engaging and personal approach to mental health care, taking time with patients, connecting them to resources, and playing an active role in Mosaic’s group homes.”
“We congratulate Dr. Zuzarte on his hard work,” said Dr. Robert Roca, vice president of medical affairs at Sheppard Pratt Health System. “We are grateful to have him on staff and do our best to learn from him each and every day.”
About Sheppard Pratt
Sheppard Pratt is the largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, developmental disability, special education, and social services in the country. A nationwide resource, Sheppard Pratt provides services across a comprehensive continuum of care, spanning both hospital- and community-based resources. Since its founding in 1853, Sheppard Pratt has been innovating the field through research, best practice implementation, and a focus on improving the quality of mental health care on a global level. Sheppard Pratt has been consistently recognized as a top national psychiatric hospital by U.S. News & World Report for more than 30 years.