Laurence J. Pezor, MD, CHE, has been named Medical Director of University of Maryland Shore Behavioral Health. In this role, Dr. Pezor leads a highly skilled team of providers who assist patients who are in need of mental health and recovery services. UM Shore Behavioral Health includes the Behavioral Response Team, the Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program, the Bridge Clinic at UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester, Addiction Services and Inpatient Treatment Services.
“I couldn’t imagine a better time for Dr. Pezor to step into this role,” says William Huffner, MD, chief medical officer, UM Shore Regional Health. “The ever-changing landscape of behavioral health services needs dynamic and collaborative leadership and I am thrilled to welcome such a well-respected, knowledgeable and devoted member of the behavioral health field to UM Shore Regional Health. Our goal is to work in partnership with our community providers to enhance and broaden behavioral health services for the region we serve and I am certain Dr. Pezor will be the outstanding leader we need to transition care into this new era.”
Dr. Pezor assumed this role in December as he continues as the chief medical officer at Eastern Shore Psychological Services. In these dual roles, he is uniquely positioned to lead coordination and integration of behavioral health services on the Eastern Shore. He has more than 30 years of clinical practice experience in all levels of care and across all age ranges. His administrative expertise includes managing inpatient services, intensive outpatient programs, partial hospital programs and working with various insurance providers.
In partnership with community providers and organizations, Dr. Pezor and UM Shore Regional Health are excited to build an integrated behavioral health and recovery program that serves the inpatient and outpatient needs of patients in the five-county region UM SRH serves.
“I am honored to be part of the UM Behavioral Health team and grow with them as we move into the next decade,” says Dr. Pezor. “The opportunity to expand mental health and recovery services in coordination with our community partners is exciting and has the potential to improve services to the entire Eastern Shore community.”
Dr. Pezor earned his Bachelor of Science in biological sciences, cum laude, at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. He earned his Doctorate of Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Pezor completed his internship in pediatrics and his residency in psychiatry at the Naval Hospital in San Diego, California. His fellowship training was completed at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
He is a diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; board certified in adult and child and adolescent psychiatry; and also is a diplomat in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has co-authored a book chapter in “The Military Family in Peace and War.” Among his many professional positions, he has served as head of the Child Psychiatry Division and as director of Healthcare Operations at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He also is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, and on the faculty at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, as a lecturer in psychopharmacology.
As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.
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