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News Release November 20, 2007
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 | News Release November 20, 2007
Psychiatry and family practice physicians join Regions behavioral health department
New hires integral to expansion of area's leading program
St. Paul, Minn., – Regions Hospital recently hired three new psychiatrists and a family practice physician, expanding the area's leading behavioral health program. The physicians are also members of the HealthPartners Medical Group.
Craig Coenson, M.D., brings his expertise in clinical operations and quality management to his role as lead psychiatrist in emergency psychiatric services at Regions. In addition, he has 10 years of experience working as a physician executive within national healthcare companies including Cigna Behavioral Health and Hazelden. Dr. Coenson began his position at Regions on Oct. 1.
John Kuzma, M.D., joined Regions behavioral health as a psychiatrist. Most recently, he served as both a staff psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry. A University of Minnesota Medical School graduate, Dr. Kuzma completed a psychiatry rotation at Regions before working in positions in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa. Dr. Kuzma joined the behavioral health group at Regions on Sept. 4.
Stefan Tchepichev, M.D., a psychiatrist who comes from the Minneapolis VAMC, has joined Regions behavioral health department. He has also worked at the Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center and at Catawba State Hospital in the state of Virginia. Dr. Tchepichev was a resident surgeon at three hospital and clinic sites in Bulgaria. He started working at Regions on Sept. 4.
Nemera Weyessa, M.D., is a family practice physician who joined the Regions behavioral health department to assist with the more general patient care needs. Fluent in English, Spanish, Oromo and Amharic, he became the first family practice physician in the department when he joined on Aug. 27. His position is unique because it allows Regions inpatient psychiatric patients to benefit from a dedicated primary care physician. National and local data shows increasingly that psychiatric inpatients have co-existing complex medical problems.
Twenty-eight psychiatrists, 34 psychotherapists and one family practice physician serve the Regions Hospital and HealthPartners behavioral health patients. Each year, the organization has a total of 111,000 outpatient visits, which include seven outpatient clinics, ADAP and the New Connection programs. In addition, Regions has about 2,750 behavioral health inpatient admissions per year. Regions will be opening an additional 16-bed inpatient unit in January 2008.
Regions Hospital is a Level I trauma center and teaching hospital, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin for more than 130 years. Regions is a private hospital providing outstanding care in Behavioral Health, women's health, heart, cancer, surgery, orthopaedics, burn, emergency care and more. Regions is part of the HealthPartners family of care. Additional information is available at regionshospital.com.
Contact: Jennifer Kovacich
(651)-254-4726
(651)-629-0411 pager
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