Staff

Joining a Dedicated Team with a Child-Focused Mission

When you join Cape Fear Valley's Child & Adolescent Psychiatry team, you'll become part of a dedicated group of professionals united by their commitment to improving pediatric mental health in the community. While the department is actively growing its child and adolescent services, you'll integrate into a well-established behavioral health department with a strong foundation of psychiatric expertise and collaborative practice.

Experienced Leadership Committed to Pediatric Services

The department is led by Dr. Kenneth Fleischman, Medical Director of Behavioral Health Services, and John Bigger, Corporate Director of Behavioral Health, who bring substantial experience and a clear vision for expanding pediatric mental health services. Their leadership philosophy emphasizes:

• Strategic growth of child and adolescent psychiatric services to meet community needs
• Support for both clinical excellence and provider wellbeing
• Integration of teaching with clinical services through the fellowship program
• Commitment to recruiting additional child psychiatry providers
• Development of innovative service models for pediatric populations

This leadership team has created a department culture that values both exceptional patient care and provider satisfaction, contributing to the remarkable stability of the psychiatric staff.

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program

A distinctive feature of Cape Fear Valley's pediatric psychiatric services is its Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship program, which creates a stimulating academic environment while helping develop future specialists:

• 4–6 child psychiatry fellows across the two-year fellowship program
• Balance of fellow education with clinical productivity
• Collaborative atmosphere between attending physicians and fellows
• Academic activities including case conferences and didactic sessions
• Enhanced coverage through fellow participation in clinical services

As an attending physician, you'll have the opportunity to shape the training of these fellows according to your interest level, whether through formal supervision or more informal mentoring relationships.

Interdisciplinary Child Mental Health Team

Your practice will be supported by a comprehensive team of professionals focused on pediatric mental health:

• Child & adolescent psychiatrists focusing on medication management
• Child psychotherapists providing individual and family therapy
• Advanced practice providers supporting patient care
• Medical office assistants handling administrative aspects of care
• Office staff coordinating scheduling and patient communications

This interdisciplinary approach ensures comprehensive care for your patients while creating a collegial practice environment that enhances both clinical outcomes and professional satisfaction.

Current Provider Mix and Opportunities

The Behavioral Health Department currently includes approximately 10.5 psychiatrists and 9 advanced practice providers across all service lines, with a specific need for additional child and adolescent psychiatrists to support growth in pediatric services. The department maintains a fellowship-trained child psychiatrist who oversees the fellowship program and provides leadership for pediatric services.

The current staffing mix creates several advantages for incoming child psychiatrists:

• Opportunity to help shape the growth of pediatric psychiatric services
• Ability to develop specialized clinical interests within the department
• Integration into an established department with administrative infrastructure
• Supportive colleagues across adult and pediatric psychiatric services
• Balance of autonomy and collaborative practice

Rather than joining a fully staffed department with rigid roles, you'll become part of a growing service with opportunity to influence its development according to your interests and expertise.

Fellowship Integration with Clinical Services

The fellowship program creates a valuable bridge between academic medicine and clinical practice, enhancing your daily experience:

• Fellows contributing to patient care under appropriate supervision
• Intellectual stimulation through teaching and academic discussions
• Ready access to consultation on complex cases
• Continuous exposure to current research and evidence-based practices
• Potential for involvement in quality improvement initiatives

This academic component enriches the practice environment without the burden of research requirements or publication pressures that characterize many university settings.

Administrative and Support Staff

Your clinical effectiveness will be significantly enhanced by dedicated administrative and support personnel:

• Medical Office Assistants who manage routine prescription refills
• Staff handling prior authorizations for medications
• Office personnel coordinating scheduling and patient communications
• Building coordinators managing facility operations
• Administrative support for non-clinical documentation requirements

This robust support structure means you'll spend your time focused on clinical care rather than administrative tasks, creating a more satisfying and efficient practice experience.

Culture of Collaboration and Professional Growth

Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of the department is its culture of collaboration and mutual support. Team members describe the environment as "family-like", with colleagues who genuinely support each other both professionally and personally. This culture manifests in:

• Regular case discussions and informal consultations
• Collaborative approach to challenging cases
• Shared commitment to quality improvement
• Celebration of professional accomplishments
• Support during personal and professional challenges

As John Bigger, Corporate Director of Behavioral Health, emphasized: "We want people doing what they want to do. And so we don't bring people in and kind of do bait and switch and say, well, we know what we said, but..." This transparent approach extends throughout the department. Dr. Fleischman added: "One thing John and I really strongly feel about is we want people doing what they want to do." In joining this team, you'll find yourself welcomed into a group that values your expertise while offering the collegial support that makes the practice of child psychiatry sustainable and rewarding.

Growth Trajectory for Pediatric Services

The department is actively expanding its child and adolescent psychiatric services, creating an exciting trajectory for professional growth:

• Current development of a new adolescent unit at Central Harnett Hospital
• Plans for increased school-based services and community outreach
• Potential development of specialized programs for autism spectrum disorders
• Possible future implementation of partial hospitalization programs
• Exploration of innovative care models for pediatric populations

By joining Cape Fear Valley's Child & Adolescent Psychiatry team, you'll become part of a dynamic, supportive department poised for growth. The combination of established infrastructure with expanding services creates an ideal environment for a child psychiatrist seeking both stability and opportunity for professional development.