As Sheppard Pratt Health System enters 2016 and acknowledges 125 years in psychiatric care, a new chairman of the board of trustees is welcomed as of January 1.
The Honorable J. Frederick Motz, longtime trustee, will take over leadership from Dr. Byron Forbush, who served on the board for 41 years, 18 of them as chairman.
“My work has been focused on telling the story of Sheppard Pratt Health System and destigmatizing mental illness, and I am very happy with how far we’ve come,” says Dr. Forbush. “It is time for a new leader with a new vision to take us into the health system’s next phase in partnership with the new CEO. I think Fred is fit to do just that, and will serve this community well.”
Dr. Forbush’s spirit, dedication and commitment will be missed. He will remain part of the Sheppard Pratt family as chair emeritus of the board of trustees and archivist.
Motz, a well-known and respected judge in Maryland, was chosen based on his more than two decades of previous service on the board, his compassionate nature, and rational and reasonable decision making skills.
He was appointed by Ronald Reagan to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in 1985, and served as chief judge from 1994-2001. He has handled many high-profile cases in the state. His wife, The Honorable Diana Gribbon Motz, is a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The Motzes were the first married couple to sit on the federal bench.
Of the appointment, Motz said, “It's a great honor to be chosen to fill the shoes of Dr. Forbush as board chair. We are somewhat different. He has vast executive experience, having led The Friends School of Baltimore (from which I graduated) as its head for 38 years. My background is different. But I know we are both committed to promoting mental health and to the idea that all of those served by Sheppard Pratt - and all of those who serve them - are entitled to be treated with compassion, dignity and respect."
Motz’ first order of business is heading the search committee for the health system’s new CEO, who will take over July 1.
About Sheppard Pratt Health System
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.