OSU-COM appoints Sara Coffey, DO, as endowed leadership chair of psychiatry, behavioral sciences

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) has named Sara Coffey, DO, the Anne & Henry Zarrow Endowed Leadership Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. In this new role, Dr. Coffey will lead the psychiatry education strategy at OSU-COM, and she will serve as a key liaison between the university and local, state and national mental health entities.

Dr. Coffey graduated from OSU-COM in 2008, and later returned to her alma mater to serve as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in 2017. Over the last five years, she has also served as the director of clinical operations for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Child Welfare Division.

In addition to these roles, Dr. Coffey has also worked with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and has served on advisory committees dedicated to educating legislators on a variety of mental health-related topics. She is a frequent speaker at local and national mental health conferences. Dr. Coffey is considered to be an expert on childhood trauma and emotional wellness in school settings. She is also a published author.

In a recent statement, OSU-COM President Johnny Stephens, PharmD, said, “Dr. Coffey is the right person to oversee our program here as we continue to lead the way for behavioral medicine in the state of Oklahoma.”

In an effort to address the lack of sufficient behavioral health care professionals in Oklahoma, OSU-COM has partnered with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the city of Tulsa, Tulsa County and local philanthropists to establish the new Oklahoma Psychiatric Care Center. This new clinic will be located in downtown Tulsa and is scheduled to open in late 2025. In addition to addressing mental health care disparities, the new hospital will also dramatically increase residency spots for training new behavioral health professionals.

On her new role and OSU-COM’s mental health efforts, Dr. Coffey said, “I am honored and humbled by this selection. Now more than ever, we need the right people at the table to address the mental health crisis we face as a city, state and nation. My team and I take very seriously our role in providing behavioral health care as well as preparing tomorrow’s psychiatrists to meet patients’ needs with compassion and knowledge, and we look forward to collaborating with our partners to meet this need.”