Simms Receives Board Certification in Psychiatry

Chattanooga, TN August 1, 2008 - Dr. Cassandra Simms has received her board certification in adult psychiatry from the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry earning the distinction as an ABPN Diplomate. She will now prepare to take her boards in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry next year.

Dr. Simms is psychiatrist at Focus Psychiatric Services specializing in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is a member of the medical staff at Parkridge Valley, a behavioral health facility of Parkridge Medical Center. Dr. Simms is a graduate of the University of Kentucky Medical School, in Lexington, Kentucky. She completed her residency and internship at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia, South Carolina in General Adult Psychiatry. She performed a Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of South Carolina. She is a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Medical Society, the Palmetto Health Credentials Committee and the Mountain City Medical Society.

The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. (ABPN) is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to serving the public interest and professions of psychiatry and neurology by promoting excellence in practice through certification and maintenance of certification processes. The ABPN is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties, an organization of 24 approved medical specialty boards.

Physicians who are board certified by the ABPN have successfully completed an approved training program and an evaluation process assessing their ability to provide quality patient care in a specialty and/or subspecialty. Patients can be assured that an ABPN board-certified psychiatrist has specialized skills and knowledge to diagnose and treat problems ranging from emergencies to the long-term medical management of psychiatric disorders including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, substance-abuse disorders, psychosis, developmental disabilities, sexual dysfunctions and adjustment reactions.

For more information on Dr. Simms or the services offered at Parkridge Valley, contact RESPOND at (423) 499-2300 or (800) 542-9600.

About Parkridge Valley
Parkridge Valley, a behavioral health facility of Parkridge Medical Center, has served the tri-state area for over 30 years, providing unparalleled expertise in treating a broad range of behavioral and chemical dependency problems for children and adolescents as well as adults. A community helpline, RESPOND, is available 24-hour a day, 7 days a week by calling (423) 499-2300 or (800) 542-9600. The trained mental health professionals and psychiatric nurses on staff with RESPOND offer confidential assessment, consultation and referral of callers to appropriate services.