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Born and raised in Bluefield, Harris described her roots in West Virginia as idyllic and carefree. Her parents worked hard to ensure as much. She rode her bike with friends, flew kites and hiked up the largest mountain in the area to enjoy a picnic lunch. Her large family would gather at her grandparents’ home every Sunday and savor a leisurely supper. Later she became a big fan of football and was a majorette for the Bluefield High Beavers.

“Those are just a few of the great memories I had growing up in West Virginia,” she recalled. “I made lifelong friends including women I stay in touch with to this day.”

She became an avid fan of the WVU Mountaineers and because of that ultimately chose to attend college in Morgantown.  

“Not many of my family members had gone to college, and as a freshman I was unsure of myself. WVU is a large university, and of course I was from a small town,” she recalled. “It seemed that other classmates were a little more advanced than I was in courses like chemistry and biology. But I just remembered lessons learned from my family and persevered. There were not a lot of Black students on campus, so those of us that were formed a very close-knit community. We supported one another through the ups and downs of college life.”

Harris graduated magna cum laude in 1982 with a B.A. in psychology. She then earned a M.A. in counseling psychology at WVU in 1986. Following a two-year break from her studies she was accepted to the WVU School of Medicine, where she was the only African American student, male or female, for the next four years.

“I planned to be a pediatrician because I have always had a passion for improving the lives of children,” Harris said. “But after completing all my medical rotations, I found that I was fascinated with the physiology of the brain and brain disorders. I decided to specialize in psychiatry with a subspecialty in pediatric psychiatry.”

She graduated from medical school in 1992, followed by a psychiatry residency and child psychiatry and forensic psychiatry fellowships at Emory University. Soon thereafter she established a private practice in Atlanta, treating children and adults for a variety of psychiatric conditions. She also advocated for services and improved policies for children who have been abused and neglected by testifying before the Georgia State Legislature and the United States Congress.

Over the years Harris has received numerous honors and awards, including being named “Psychiatrist of the Year” in 2001 by the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association and induction into the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2007.  

She was first elected to the AMA’s Board of Trustees in June 2011 and was voted in as secretary (2014-2015) and chair (2016-2017). In 2018 she was elected the 174th president of the AMA.

The Opioid Crisis

From 2014 to June 2021, Harris served as chair of the AMA Opioid Task Force and spearheaded the organization’s efforts to end the opioid epidemic in America. She particularly understands the toll the epidemic has taken on individuals, families and employers in West Virginia. The task force’s first hurdle was to ensure everyone understood the multiple factors that led to the epidemic and the need for a proactive, evidence-based approach to this public health crisis. Next, Harris said the AMA’s goals were to eliminate barriers to treatment, provide patients with access to affordable, non-opioid pain care and fight the stigma faced by those with chronic pain and substance use disorders.

“Hopefully our nation understands that we can’t arrest our way out of the opioid crisis,” said Harris, referring to earlier times in the epidemic when incarceration was seen as the solution. “We don’t arrest people with diabetes, so we should not be arresting people who have a substance use disorder. I believe we have been able to change the narrative, so people are aware that substance use disorder is not a sign of personal weakness, but a medical brain disorder.”

 Today, one of the three medications that is highly effective in treating opioid use disorder is buprenorphine. However, patients still have difficulty finding access to this life saving medication and associated services.

“Onerous regulations have discouraged physicians from obtaining certification to prescribe buprenorphine,” Harris explained. “The?current and prior administrations have decreased some of the regulations, but there is still more that should be done. The AMA urged Health and Human Services (HHS) to change the regulations in order to remove major barriers to reducing the nationwide epidemic of drug-related overdose and death. Access to treatment is critical to ending the epidemic. What’s more, treatment with buprenorphine as well as the other two medications known to be effective allows patients to lead satisfying, productive lives.”

While Harris said that significant progress has been made in the battle against the opioid epidemic, she admitted there is still a long way to go. Today most of the overdose deaths are due to illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other substances. As such, the focus needs to broaden beyond just opioids.

“There is no one size fits all or one single magic wand for a health issue this complex,” Harris said. “We have raised the awareness about the need for treatment, but it’s still nowhere near where it needs to be. Now we need to ensure access. Employers play a critical role in ensuring their workers have access to treatment for mental illness or substance use disorder, just as they have access to treatment for diabetes or hypertension. Employers know well how unmet mental health needs in the workplace affect productivity.”

COVID-19

One of the greatest challenges Harris faced during her tenure as president of the AMA was the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the demands of dealing with a novel strain of the virus with many unknowns, she was commended for her handling of the deadly disease. A June 9, 2020, headline on the NBC News website stated, “Dr. Patrice Harris: A steady voice of leadership during a deadly pandemic.”

As life slowly returns to normal in the wake of the health crisis, Harris said there are several issues the public should be aware of.

“One of the hidden tragedies of the pandemic is the degree to which people have put off preventive services and treatments for serious health conditions, in many cases avoiding even urgent medical care, over fears of being infected with the virus,” Harris noted. “Nearly one third of U.S. adults postponed routine care during the pandemic.”

Harris also explained how the pandemic can affect children as they return to school.

“As more and more students transition back to in-person learning, teachers should be on the lookout for two things: anxiety and depression. Those are just some of the mental health issues brought on or worsened by the pandemic that could have lasting effects.”

Obesity

Another major problem in West Virginia that Harris tackled during her time in AMA leadership was obesity. The Mountain State currently has the highest rate of obesity in the nation, with the issue being far worse in Fayette, Logan and McDowell counties. Harris said one of the main concerns in rural counties is access to fresh produce.  

“Many of these regions are what we call food deserts. We want to make sure the people of West Virginia have easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” she explained. “What choices can people make if the only thing near them is fast food? If we want people to make healthy choices, let’s make sure healthy choices are available.”

Harris also was a strong advocate for defining obesity as a disease. According to her and her colleagues at the AMA, individuals who are overweight should not be seen as being “weak.” Instead, there are numerous factors at play.  

“We had great evidence-based debates at the AMA about this issue, and we thought it was critical to have a proper understanding of obesity,” she noted. “People often talk about calories in and calories out. Clearly it is so much more than that. We want people to understand the biological and physiological inputs that go into obesity. It involves understanding the brain and the reward pathway and the hippocampus. We’re learning more about hormonal influences. Obesity is a medically complex disease.”

And much like substance use disorder, Harris said the stigma endured by overweight people is a major deterrent to progress.  

“It’s not that you are weak or have a moral failing,” she said. “As a society we need to move away from blame and shame.”

Harris said employers in West Virginia have several tools at their disposal to help workers with weight issues. They can also take a proactive approach to promote physical and mental health instead of waiting for disease to arise.

“There are wellness and EAP programs out there, and I would encourage employers to make sure that they are putting forth programs that are evidence-based,” Harris explained. “Make sure these programs are meeting their stated objectives, and then promote and support them. Employers can organize walking clubs and offer discounts on insurance premiums to employees who meet certain goals. Do an assessment of your organization and do whatever you can to promote physical activity and promote mental wellbeing — because the two are interconnected.”

Mental Health

During her presidency and beyond, Dr. Harris had advocated for the importance of integrating mental health into overall health A Nov. 2, 2010, headline on the Everyday Health website announced that continued commitment : “Patrice Harris, MD, Aims to Incorporate Mental Health Into Healthcare.” And once again, Harris addressed how the stigma of mental health issues can be a major obstacle to people seeking help.

 “If an employee has to take time off for a mental diagnosis, they should not feel stigmatized. Is there judgment or shame?” she asks. “There wouldn’t be if the employee had cancer and needed time off from work to address their health needs related to cancer.”

Harris believes that famous individuals who come forward to relate their own struggles with mental health can go a long way in reducing the stigma.

“Influencers are critical. I have been happy to see so many celebrities and those in the public eye who have been open about their struggles — people like Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles and Kevin Love.”

Just some of the other celebrities who have come forward to discuss their mental health issues include Oprah Winfrey, Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Lady Gaga, John Hamm, Michael Phelps, J.K. Rowling, Mariah Carey and Halle Berry.

Compounding the stigma of mental illness is lack of access to care. Harris has worked diligently over the years to address the dilemma.

“Fortunately, this is a bipartisan issue. People do not disagree on the need for more mental health treatment today,” Harris explained. “We need legislation to increase funding for mental health care. In addition, there are not enough psychiatrists and counselors in America. This is a workforce issue from top to bottom. We need to transform our system of care for mental disorders.”

Harris also encourages employers to make sure their company insurance plans cover mental health care. She noted that today parity laws are in place to ensure mental health care is covered by insurance companies in the same manner as physical care. However, she warns that some insurance providers look for ways around the laws; and she encourages employers to carefully review their insurance benefits.

“There are so many work absences due to depression and anxiety,” she added. “I think employers need to recognize the human toll and how it affects the bottom line.”

Health Equity

Finally, as president of the AMA, Harris was not afraid to take on a number of social issues, including health inequities in underserved populations and lack of care for people of color.

“Black Americans are dying from COVID-19 at 2.3 times the rate of other groups,” she said. “The pandemic has elevated the awareness of health inequities in America, and it has forced us to have a conversation about structural racism. I’ve always been about changing from within and getting involved. If you see a problem, find a solution and join the fight. Striving for a more just health care system is a job for everyone.”

••••••

The role of a trailblazer is often beset with numerous challenges. There was a time that an African American physician could not even join the AMA. But times have changed, and no one knows that more than Dr. Patrice Harris.

“When I first got to WVU I was not encouraged to go into medicine. I was encouraged to go to nursing school,” Harris reflected. “Now, was that because I was a woman? Was that because I was a Black woman? I don’t know. There were times when I felt invisible. But I just worked harder to be heard and to prove the doubters wrong. And let me just say that when I was sworn in as president of the AMA, my West Virginia family was there in full force. Several of my medical school classmates as well as representatives from WVU, the WVU Foundation and the WVU Alumni Association were there to support me. Singing “Country Roads” was the highlight of the evening for physicians across this country. I think that speaks volumes. Together, with a shared commitment to understand and work collaboratively, solving our country’s greatest health challenges is possible.”