—Toronto, ON, September 14, 2014—

Last night, the Canadian Psychiatric Association, the united voice for Canada’s 4,700 psychiatrists and 600 psychiatry residents, inducted Dr. Padraic Carr as their new president.

Dr. Padraic Carr is a clinical professor with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta and the Facility Chief for the Department of Psychiatry at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton. The main focus of his clinical practice is the care of adults in both inpatient and outpatient settings. As Facility Chief he is responsible for the delivery of clinical services, strategic and policy advice, quality monitoring and improvement, supporting teaching and research, and broader regional issues such as physician resource planning.

“I look forward to honouring the traditions of serving patients and the profession which have epitomized the Canadian Psychiatric Association,” said Carr upon accepting his new office.

Advocacy for patients and psychiatrists has long marked Dr. Carr’s career.

Dr. Carr was one of the first psychiatrists to work with Primary Care Networks – an innovative program in Alberta linking specialist with primary care doctors. He was also instrumental in developing the Clinical Associate Program at the Grey Nuns Hospital to facilitate emergency care for mental health patients. In his numerous liaison roles, he has engaged with over 40 hospital and regional committees.

A medical graduate from the University of Alberta, Dr. Carr received his certification in psychiatry in 1995 and became a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology a year later.

He has long been involved with his provincial and national psychiatric associations. An active member of the Alberta Psychiatric Association since 1992, he served as president from 2005 to 2006. At the national level Dr Carr joined the Board of the Canadian Psychiatric Association in 2012. In the past he has served on the CPA Membership Affairs (2005-2012) and Professional Standards and Practice Committees (2000-2005), authoring papers on important topics such as mandatory outpatient treatment. In 2013 he received the designation of Fellow of the CPA.

Dr. Carr has remained committed throughout his career to giving voice to psychiatry within the larger house of medicine at the provincial, national and international levels. As a resident, he served as President of the Professional Association of Interns and Residents of Alberta and as the Treasurer and Member at Large of the Canadian Association of Interns and Residents.

In 2006 Dr. Carr was instated to the Board of Directors of the Alberta Medical Association, including election to two terms on the AMA Executive. Since 2007, he has served as an Alberta delegate to the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) General Council, sponsoring at this year’s Council a resolution committing the CMA to working toward ensuring that information regarding police assistance for mental health issues be omitted from data shared by Canadian with US authorities.

He has also been active internationally. Over an eight-year span, Dr. Carr served as the Western Canada Representative and Deputy Representative to the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). He was also named President of both the Edmonton Chapter and Western Canada District Branch of the APA. In recognition of this work he received the designation of Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in 2004.

The Canadian Psychiatric Association is the national voice for Canada’s 4,700 psychiatrists and more than 600 psychiatric residents. Founded in 1951, the CPA is dedicated to promoting an environment that fosters excellence in the provision of clinical care, education and research.