Longtime Academic and Clinical Affairs Leader, Department Chair, and Faculty Member, Tony Lehman, MD, Announces Retirement

Dr. Lehman is a Valued Member of Dean’s Senior Cabinet and Internationally Recognized Researcher in Mental Health Services

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Anthony Lehman, MD, MSPH, who served the UMSOM for more than 30 years as Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Department Chair, and distinguished faculty member in the UMSOM Department of Psychiatry, will retire, effective June 30, 2022.

Dr. Lehman, who became one of Dean Reece’s most valued advisors and who guided the UMSOM’s clinical affairs to significant growth and accomplishment, was known for many years as Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry.  He was also internationally recognized for mental health services research, focused on assessing the outcomes of patients with severe mental illnesses and developing treatments and strategies for improving their well-being. 

“I am so deeply grateful for everything that Dr. Lehman has done for the UMSOM over the years,” said Dean Reece.  “He has been a constant, steady presence as one of our top senior administrators and academic leaders, and has had a transformative impact on nearly every aspect of our clinical affairs operations.  On a personal note, he has been a close friend and trusted advisor, and will be greatly missed.  On behalf of everyone at the UMSOM, I congratulate Dr. Lehman on his outstanding career, and his well-deserved retirement, and wish him and his family all the best in the future.”

Dr. Lehman commented: "It has been my honor to serve in a wide range of roles at the School of Medicine, and to work closely with so many wonderful colleagues over the years. I am especially proud of my early work to study and improve care for persons with serious mental disorders and substance abuse, and to mentor junior investigators in the field. Serving as a department chair under two wonderful Deans (Wilson and Reece), and with so many fellow chair colleagues, was extremely meaningful and provided great opportunities to further the careers of faculty. Finally, I have enjoyed my last decade as Senior Associate Dean, working closely with my good colleague and friend, Dean Reece, and the many wonderful leaders within the School of Medicine, UMMC and UMMS. Now I’m ready to move on to new adventures!"

Preeminent Department Chair and Leading Mental Health Scientist

Dr. Lehman joined the University of Maryland School of Medicine as an associate professor of psychiatry in 1986 and became a professor of psychiatry in 1994. He was named acting chair of the Department of Psychiatry in 1998, by Dean Emeritus Donald E. Wilson, MD, MACP, AGAF.

Based on his record of success as a collaborator and innovator, Dean Wilson appointed Dr. Lehman chair of the Department of Psychiatry in 2000.  Previously, he had directed the Department's Center for Mental Health Services Research, where he substantially expanded the department’s research mission while maintaining and strengthening its training and clinical programs. He strongly promoted the longstanding partnership between the UMSOM, the state hospitals, and Maryland’s public mental health system.  He successfully led major federally funded research projects addressing issues on addictions, homelessness, and unemployment among persons with severe mental illnesses. These research projects led to enduring changes in clinical and teaching services (dual diagnosis treatment programs, supported employment programs, and the Program of Assertive Community Treatment) in the Department of Psychiatry.

"During my first seven years as Dean at Maryland, I had the opportunity to interact with Anthony (Tony) Lehman during dean/senior staff and departmental meetings. He impressed me as a quiet, hard-working person who, while not seeking to impress, usually made an important addition to the conversation," said UMSOM Dean Emeritus Wilson, who is  also Executive Director, Association for Academic Minority Physicians. "When the position of department chair in psychiatry became vacant, Tony accepted my request that he serve as interim chair.  I soon discovered that this 'understated' physician's knowledge extended well beyond his expertise in the research and treatment of schizophrenia, and that he displayed a stable leadership persona that was helpful to this large and complex department. I was delighted to appoint him permanent chair of psychiatry in 2000."

Upon Dr. Lehman being named permanent Department Chair, a colleague, Lisa Dixon, MD, wrote: “Dr. Lehman has received millions of dollars in research grants, published dozens of papers, won a long list of awards, and chaired myriad committees and task forces. Most important, however, is that he has won the deep respect and admiration of patients and colleagues. This respect comes from Dr. Lehman’s unique ability to bring simple clarity to complex problems, to persuade forcefully without browbeating, and to do it all with a soft-spoken style and interpersonal warmth.”

As Chair, he set as priorities increased collaborations among existing research programs on schizophrenia and severe mental illnesses, and establishment of Psychiatry basic science on the UMB campus in three areas not previously represented–mood disorders, neuroimmunology, and addictions. These basic science initiatives helped the department build new collaborative relationships with UMSOM basic science departments.

He worked to strengthen the department’s partnership with the Veterans Health Administration. Working closely with Alan Bellack, PhD, Dr. Lehman helped establish a new, large research program at the Baltimore VA, the Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), which continues successfully today under the directorship of Richard Goldberg, PhD.

Under his leadership and close collaborations with many schizophrenia researchers in the department, especially the internationally recognized UMSOM Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC), as well as the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Department successfully competed for the federally funded Schizophrenia Patient Outcome Research Team (PORT), for which Dr. Lehman served as Principal Investigator. This large project led to the publication of the Schizophrenia PORT Treatment Recommendations in 1998 and a series of ensuing peer-reviewed publications for the Department’s faculty team. As a result, Dr. Lehman was selected to lead the Practice Guidelines Project Workgroup on Schizophrenia for the American Psychiatric Association and was the lead author for those guidelines published in 2004.

“Tony Lehman was a wonderful leader for the Department of Psychiatry and the lead person developing national guidelines for treatment of persons with severe mental illness,” said Will Carpenter, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at UMSOM, who led the MPRC from 1977-2013. “His science was highly informative regarding the lives and challenges faced by persons with mental illness and substance abuse. His understanding of issues within the Department and his dedication to the success of all faculty supported the advancement of clinical care, teaching, and science.”

“A Community psychiatrist and services researcher, Dr. Lehman lead by example to reduce stigma and improve the quality of life of individuals with serious mental illness, treating every individual with the highest respect and consideration of their wishes,” said Jill RachBeisel, MD, Dr. Irving J. Taylor Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry.  “As Chair, he similarly treated every faculty, staff, and trainee with respect, always working side by side to cover weekend calls and to see patients. Dr. Lehman never asked others to do things he wouldn’t do himself!”

In partnership with the UMSOM Medschool Maryland Productions (Susan Hadary and John Anglim Productions), Dr. Lehman produced Walter P. Carter: Champion for Change, a 30-minute documentary about the Maryland civil rights leader after whom the Walter P. Carter Community Mental Health Center on the UMSOM campus was named. This documentary premiered on Maryland Public Television in 2013, and it still airs every year on MPT during Black History Month and has been distributed to local schools. In an effort to raise awareness of the Department’s contributions over the years to the School of Medicine, UMMC, Baltimore, and the State, he led production of a comprehensive history of the Department, Changing Times, Changing Minds, published in 2010 and first distributed at the Department’s  60^th Year Anniversary Gala that year.

Clinical Affairs Leader

In 2012, Dean Reece appointed Dr. Lehman as Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, replacing longtime UMSOM administrator Frank M. Calia, MD, MACP, who had retired after 42 years at UMSOM.  In his new role, Dr. Lehman was further charged with strengthening UMSOM’s clinical mission by continuing to build partnerships with the University of Maryland Medical Center, the University of Maryland Medical System, and the Baltimore VA Medical Center.

In this role, Dr. Lehman also provided leadership to the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s faculty practice plan, now known as University of Maryland Faculty Physicians Inc. (FPI), in conjunction with Dean Reece, and William E. Tucker, MBA, CPA, Associate Dean for Practice Plan Affairs and the practice plan’s Chief Corporate Officer.

He served as an administrative partner to Mr. Tucker, and liaison to the Dean’s Office, playing a major role in issues management and growth strategy development.  He was a key leader and board member with Maryland Medicine Comprehensive Insurance Provider (MMCIP), the medical liability entity, and was instrumental in improving FPI’s clinical quality and safety.

“Dr. Lehman has been a terrific partner to FPI and to me personally,” said Mr. Tucker.  “His extensive knowledge of the School of Medicine and clinical operations has been invaluable in supporting the growth of FPI.  I am especially appreciative to have had his friendship, advice, and support throughout the past 10 years.”

William F. Regine, MD, FACR, FACRO, the Isadore & Fannie Schneider Foxman Chair and Professor of Radiation Oncology, who was recently named Iterim President of FPI, said:
"Dr. Lehman has been a model of leadership and support of our School of Medicine and all its missions for over 30 years.  He has brought a calming voice and steady hand throughout all challenges the UMSOM has faced during this time, both of which will be missed and we can only hope to emulate going forward."

Added Peter Rock, MD, MBA, the Dr. Martin Helrich Chair and Professor of Anesthesiology, who was appointed Interim Vice President of FPI: “Dr. Lehman has been a friend, colleague, and mentor. His advice over the years has been invaluable. His steady presence and calm demeanor have helped us navigate many challenges. I worked closely with him on the FPI practice redesign and on our professionalism initiative. His insights and ability to bring people together contributed significantly to the success of these efforts. He will be greatly missed.”

Other UMSOM senior administrators commented about Dr. Lehman's personal style of leadership.

“I first started working closely with Dr. Lehman as a member of the Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee (FAAC) many years ago. He served as the Chair of that committee prior to serving as the Clinical Affairs Dean. I personally have benefited from watching his measured but direct approach in negotiating difficult conversations and achieving a positive outcome," said Louisa A. Peartree, MBA, Senior Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

James B. Kaper, PhD, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, James & Carolyn Frenkil Distinguished Dean’s Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, added: “Dr. Lehman has been a wonderful colleague in providing senior leadership to the UMSOM. I could always count on him for wise counsel and a wry sense of humor. "

Award-Winning Scientist and Academician

Dr. Lehman earned his B.S. Degree summa cum laude from St. Lawrence University, and then went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine. He continued his training with an internship at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and a residency in psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Neuropsychiatric Institute. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program at UCLA, and earned his M.S. Degree in public health from the UCLA School of Public Health in 1981. In 1981, Dr. Lehman began working at the University of Rochester as an assistant professor of psychiatry, director of the Long-Term Care Program, and Medical Director of the Extended Care Clinic.

As a highly acclaimed psychiatrist and scientist, Dr. Lehman has received many awards and honors during his career. In 2005, he received the Alexander Gralnick Award for Research in Schizophrenia from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and in 2003, he was named a Distinguished Fellow of the APA. In 2004, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry presented him with the Robert Cancro Best Chair Award. Dr. Lehman has served on many committees at the APA, NIMH, the VA Maryland Health Care System, and more. He has been an extraordinarily prolific scholar, having written more than 150 scientific articles and co-authored two books, Working with Families of the Mentally Ill and Double Jeopardy: Chronic Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders.

An accomplished musician, Dr. Lehman has performed as a trombonist over the past two decades in several amateur music groups, playing classical, pop, swing, bebop, and traditional jazz music.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 46 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs, and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research.  With an operating budget of more than $1.3 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has nearly $600 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding.  As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 students, trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of over $6 billion and an economic impact of nearly $20 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity (according to the Association of American Medical Colleges profile) is an innovator in translational medicine, with 606 active patents and 52 start-up companies.  In the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of the Best Medical Schools, published in 2021, the UM School of Medicine is ranked #9 among the 92 public medical schools in the U.S., and in the top 15 percent (#27) of all 192 public and private U.S. medical schools.  The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu