Laura Fochtmann, MD

Dr. Fochtmann’s focus is on improving the quality of care for individuals with psychiatric illnesses through developing evidence-based guidelines and enhancing electronic health record systems to support psychiatric practice.  Since joining the Stony Brook faculty in 1988, her primary clinical efforts have been related to evaluating and caring for individuals with psychiatric illnesses in inpatient and emergency psychiatric settings. Now, as a Deputy Chief Medical Information Officer for Stony Brook Medicine, Dr. Fochtmann plays a key role in customizing the electronic health record and using quality data to improve patient safety and treatment. Dr. Fochtmann is an active member of multiple committees of the Renaissance School of Medicine, the hospital, and the university. She is also an acclaimed medical educator having received the Aesculapius award for top teachers within the School of Medicine and numerous teaching awards from Stony Brook psychiatry residents and medical students. Her funded research and publications have spanned a broad range of topics including neurochemical effects of psychiatric treatments in animal models, psychiatric epidemiology, medical informatics, and practice guideline development. Dr. Fochtmann also plays a major role on the national level; she has served on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Task Force on Electroconvulsive Therapy, is a Distinguished Life Fellow in the APA, an elected member of the American College of Psychiatrists, and a recipient of APAs Warren Williams Award for outstanding contributions in the field of psychiatry and mental health. Since 2001, Dr. Fochtmann has served as the Medical Editor for the APA Practice Guidelines, work that has been pivotal in developing national recommendations for evidence-based psychiatric practice.

View list of Publications on orcid.org