Six physicians who comprise the inaugural class of The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Psychiatry Residency Program started their journeys to improve access to mental health care in Alabama.
University leadership, community partners and College of Community Health Sciences faculty and staff gathered June 24 at UA’s Randall Welcome Center to welcome the residents and to recognize the collaborative efforts that led to the creation of the new residency, which is operated by CCHS.
Dr. Lesley Reid, UA’s executive vice president and provost, reflected on the significance of the program’s launch.
“This cohort of residents is joining a program that has been a long time coming, and the impact they are going to have on CCHS and West Alabama is immeasurable,” Reid said.
The four-year residency was launched and accredited in 2025 to help address Alabama’s critical need for mental health care providers. It will prepare board-eligible residents in the field of psychiatry.
The residents will be provided opportunities to learn alongside experienced medical professionals in a variety of inpatient, outpatient, community and rural practice settings. Residents will train at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, including the hospital’s inpatient unit, psychiatric emergency room and consultation services. They will gain experience in community mental health at Indian Rivers Behavioral Health in Tuscaloosa and Project Horseshoe Farm in Greensboro, Ala., as well as in addiction psychiatry at Bradford Health Services’ rehabilitation unit in Warrior, Ala. Residents will also work with physicians at University Medical Center and the UA Student Health Center and Pharmacy, both operated by CCHS.
Dr. Richard Friend, dean of CCHS, credited the program’s creation to persistence, collaboration and the support of community partners.
“This has been a long time coming,” Friend said. “We have been fortunate to recruit a great group of residents. They are going to get a great education, and we are proud of the impact they will have on this campus and this community.”
Dr. Jamie Reeves, director of the UA Tuscaloosa Psychiatry Residency Program, said the need for more mental health providers in Alabama was a driving force behind the creation of the program.
“The numbers were overwhelming showing how much this state is in need of mental health providers,” Reeves said. “I hope this residency will get the ball rolling and move forward in changing the nature of mental health care in this state.”
Reeves called the inaugural class “the plank holders” of the program, recognizing their role in establishing a new pathway for psychiatry training in Alabama.
The residents started their training on July 1.
The Class of 2030
- Dr. Niju Khatiwada
- Dr. Christopher Lane
- Dr. Kate Marshall
- Dr. Kartik Reddy
- Dr. Haris Rehman
- Dr. Jacob Thomas