The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine announced the appointment of Sarah Mallard Wakefield, M.D., as the new chair of the Department of Psychiatry.
 
Wakefield’s work in recent years has revolved around relational psychiatry. She has given presentations regarding children’s mental health, perinatal mental health and juvenile justice. She is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in General Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry.
 
Since joining TTUHSC in 2014, she has served as director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services in the Department of Psychiatry and medical director of Medical Ethics at University Medical Center.
 
“Dr. Wakefield supervises resident rotations in child and adolescent, forensic and perinatal psychiatry and has primary clinical interests in the juvenile justice population and treating mothers in the prenatal and postpartum period,” said Steven L. Berk, M.D., TTUHSC executive vice president, provost and School of Medicine dean. “She has successfully completed research regarding design and efficacy of juvenile mental health courts and monitoring standards of psychotropic medications in both the psychiatric and primary care setting.”
 

Wakefield will take over for Dr. Terry McMahon who has held the chair for nearly 10 years. Berk said Wakefield has big shoes to fill.
 
“Dr. Terry McMahon has a long and very distinguished service record with the School of Medicine,” said Berk. “I am very appreciative of Dr. McMahon maintaining high standards and achieving significant accomplishments in the psychiatry clerkship and residency program, and for providing exceptional patient care to the people of the South Plains over many decades.”