Dr. Geetha Jayaram is an Associate Professor in both Departments of Psychiatry and Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She has also been the Physician Advisor for the Department of Psychiatry for 21 years, and Chair of the International Patient Safety committee for the American Psychiatric Association. She is a pioneer in the field of psychiatric patient safety, authored a book on the subject, and has been invited to lecture nationally and internationally.
Rotarian Dr. Geetha Jayaram planned, initiated and implemented a low-cost, replicable mental health model in Mugalur, a village in rural Southern India. Established in 2002, it is a joint effort of Bangalore Midtown Rotary (India), St. John’s Medical College Departments of Community Medicine and Psychiatry and Rotary Club of Howard West (Maryland, USA). Trained female village caseworkers provide treatment, medications and outreach to 206 villages and an active caseload of 1,900 patients who receive comprehensive care. Treatment includes care of vision, hearing, geriatric problems, illness teaching, vocational rehabilitation and economic development. The “Maanasi Model” has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for providing effective mental health care in developing nations.
