Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (GCBHS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Katie Schmidt has been promoted to Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Schmidt has been a cornerstone of our medical team in her previous role as Medical Director and throughout her 12 years at GCBHS. President and CEO Jeff O'Neil says that Dr. Schmidt's promotion was an obvious decision because she, "brings with her a wealth of experience in serving those with severe addiction and mental health issues, medication-assisted treatment, and best practices for complex behavioral healthcare issues."
Dr. Schmidt, known to staff and patients as "Dr. Katie", received her undergraduate degree at the University of Cincinnati before obtaining her medical degree from Wright State University's School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Milwaukee before heading back home to Cincinnati in 2008. Dr. Schmidt worked with veterans at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center before coming to GCBHS in 2012, where she was promoted to Associate Medical Director in 2015, and became the organization's Medical Director in 2021.
A practicing psychiatrist for more than 20 years, most recently she has been providing direct psychiatric care and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in an outpatient setting to clients with mental health and substance use disorders. She oversees teams in Hamilton and Clermont counties who offer various treatments for people struggling with substance use and/or alcohol use disorder.
Says GCBHS' retiring Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tracey Skale “It was a pleasure to pass on the position of Chief Medical Officer to Dr. Katie Schmidt. Katie has a long tenure with our beloved agency and has a wealth of clinical and leadership experience, and expertise in Community Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry. Dr. Schmidt was, without question, the perfect choice to lead psychiatric services and help GCBHS continue to grow and excel."
Dr. Schmidt has also been recognized as the area's Best Addiction Psychiatrist (2021, 2022, and 2023) by Cincy Magazine.
According to Heather Cokl, the Associate VP of Addiction Services in Clermont County, "Katie is always on deck to help educate staff in any way that helps our professionals grow, and she is diligent about watching legal and clinical changes to ensure our clinic is operating at its absolute best for the client experience. She is an asset for our organization, our clients, and our community. "
We are excited about this well-deserved promotion and have confidence that Dr. Schmidt and her team will continue to provide the excellent care that Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services has become nationally known for.
