Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH
“We bring a practical approach to mental health research, working to break down barriers between research and real-world health care.”
Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH
Senior Investigator, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Psychiatrist, Washington Permanente Medical Group
Professor, Department of Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Research Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington
Biography
Greg Simon, MD, MPH, is a psychiatrist and senior investigator well-known for his extensive research on practical approaches to improving mental health care. He seeks to develop and evaluate effective real-world strategies that support better mental health and wellness. Current areas of emphasis include identifying and assessing suicide risk, improving care for treatment-resistant depression, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care.
Dr. Simon leads the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN), a consortium of research centers affiliated with 13 large health systems across the United States, including Kaiser Permanente Washington. This network, originally funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Mental Health, aims to improve the efficiency, relevance, and impact of mental health clinical and health services research. The MHRN is exploring a broad range of issues—including suicide prevention, improving heart health in people with serious mental illness, using electronic medical records to improve follow-up care for depression, and understanding the causes of racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care.
Dr. Simon and his MHRN colleagues have conducted several large studies across MHRN health systems, including:
- A pragmatic trial in four health systems examining the effect of systematic outreach programs to prevent suicide attempt among people at high risk.
- Using electronic health records from seven health systems to develop and validate machine learning models to identify people at high risk of suicidal behavior.
- A pragmatic trial in two health systems evaluating electronic health record tools to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease in people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
- A rigorous evaluation of Zero Suicide care improvement programs in six health systems
- Developing measures to assess quality of care for depression in two health systems.
Dr. Simon sits on the editorial board for the journal General Hospital Psychiatry, and co-chairs the National Academy of Medicine’s Forum on Drug Discovery, Development and Translation.. Dr. Simon has practiced adult psychiatry in Kaiser Permanente Washington's Mental Health and Wellness Service since 1990. He is also a professor in the department of Health Systems Science at the Bernard J Tyson Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine and an adjunct professor inPsychiatry and Behavioral Dciences at the University of Washington.
Research interests and experience
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Mental Health
Depression; bipolar disorder; suicide prevention; self-management; treatment adherence
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Chronic Illness Management
Comorbidity of mental health conditions with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and substance use disorders.
Recent publications
Simiola V, Miller-Matero LR, Erickson C, Nie S, Kazan R, Gootee J, Simon GE Patient perspectives for improving treatment initiation for new episodes of depression in historically minoritized racial and ethnic groups 2024 Jul;89:69-74. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2024.05.011. Epub 2024-05-21. PubMed
Boggs JM, Richards J, Simon G, Aguirre-Miyamoto EM, Barton LJ, Beck A, Beidas RS, Bruschke C, Buckingham ET, Buttlaire S, Clarke G, Coleman K, Flores JP, Frank C, Penfold RB, Richardson L, Ryan JM, Schoenbaum M, Sterling S, Stewart C, Yarborough BJH, Yeh HH, Ahmedani B Suicide Screening, Risk Assessment, and Lethal Means Counseling During Zero Suicide Implementation 2024 Jul;75(7):638-645. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20230211. Epub 2024-04-03. PubMed
Flores JP, Kahn G, Penfold RB, Stuart EA, Ahmedani BK, Beck A, Boggs JM, Coleman KJ, Daida YG, Lynch FL, Richards JE, Rossom RC, Simon GE, Wilcox HC Adolescents Who Do Not Endorse Risk via the Patient Health Questionnaire Before Self-Harm or Suicide 2024 Jul;81(7):717-726. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.0603. Epub 2024-04-24. PubMed
Miller-Matero LR, Knowlton G, Vagnini KM, Yeh HH, Rossom RC, Penfold RB, Simon GE, Akinyemi E, Abdole L, Hooker SA, Owen-Smith AA, Ahmedani BK The rapid shift to virtual mental health care: Examining psychotherapy disruption by rurality status 2024 Jun;40(3):500-508. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12818. Epub 2023-12-26. PubMed
Sesay MM, McCracken CE, Stewart C, Simon G, Penfold R, Ahmedani B, Rossom RC, Lu CY, Beck A, Coleman KJ, Daida Y, Lynch FL, Zeber J, Copeland L, Owen-Smith A Short report: Transition to International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision and the prevalence of autism in a cohort of healthcare systems 2024 May;28(5):1316-1321. doi: 10.1177/13623613231220687. Epub 2024-01-19. PubMed
Simon GE, Cruz M, Boggs JM, Beck A, Shortreed SM, Coley RY Predicting Outcomes of Antidepressant Treatment in Community Practice Settings 2024 May;75(5):419-426. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20230380. Epub 2023-12-05. PubMed
Patel SR, Yeh HH, Eke-Usim A, Ahmedani BK, Rossom RC, Miller-Matero L, Simon GE, Penfold RB, Owen-Smith A, Beebani G, Akinyemi E Reduced Disruption in Psychotherapy Visits Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic 2024 May;32(5):644-645. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2023.12.023. Epub 2024-01-03. PubMed
Simon GE, Rossom RC, Iturralde E, Ahmedani BK, Waring SC, Owen-Smith AA, Sterling SA, Miley K, Stults CD, Daida YG, Lynch FL, Beck A, Sanchez K, Coleman KJ, Shortreed SM Clozapine Use Among People With Psychotic Disorders Who Experience Specific Indications for Clozapine 2024 Apr 29;85(2). doi: 10.4088/JCP.23m14833. Epub 2024-04-29. PubMed
Richards JA, Kuo E, Stewart C, Shulman L, Parrish R, Whiteside U, Boggs JM, Simon GE, Rowhani-Rahbar A, Betz ME Reducing Firearm Access for Suicide Prevention: Implementation Evaluation of the Web-Based "Lock to Live" Decision Aid in Routine Health Care Encounters 2024 Apr 22;12:e48007. doi: 10.2196/48007. Epub 2024-04-22. PubMed
Simon GE, Johnson E, Shortreed SM, Ziebell RA, Rossom RC, Ahmedani BK, Coleman KJ, Beck A, Lynch FL, Daida YG Predicting suicide death after emergency department visits with mental health or self-harm diagnoses 2024 Mar;87:13-19. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2024.01.009. Epub 2024-01-22. PubMed
Research
Researchers have a proven prescription for reducing suicide rates
In a new multistate study, the Zero Suicide Model reduced suicide rates by 25%.
Research
Suicide attempts decreased after adding suicide care to primary care
Safety planning and risk screening improved outcomes for adult patients.
Research
Can machine learning help treat depression more effectively?
A new grant funds modeling work to make personalized treatment possible.
Research
Understanding adoption of Lock to Live, a decision aid supporting suicide prevention
KPWHRI research finds ways to increase use of a firearm safety tool.
Research
A medication that can relieve symptoms of psychosis is underused
Study finds that many patients who might benefit from clozapine don’t receive it.
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