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
Richards JE, Kuo E, Stewart C, Bobb JF, Mettert KD, Rowhani-Rahbar A, Betz ME, Parrish R, Whiteside U, Boggs JM, Simon GE Self-reported Access to Firearms Among Patients Receiving Care for Mental Health and Substance Use 2021 Aug;2(8):e211973. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.1973. Epub 2021-08-06. PubMed
Richards JE, Hohl SD, Segal CD, Grossman DC, Lee AK, Whiteside U, Luce C, Ludman EJ, Simon G, Penfold RB, Williams EC "What Will Happen If I Say Yes?" Perspectives on a Standardized Firearm Access Question Among Adults With Depressive Symptoms 2021 Aug;72(8):898-904. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000187. Epub 2021-05-04. PubMed
Hecht LM, Yeh HH, Braciszewski JM, Miller-Matero LR, Thakrar A, Patel S, Simon GE, Lynch FL, Beck A, Owen-Smith AA, Rossom RC, Waitzfelder BE, Lu CY, Boggs JM, Ahmedani BK Weighing the Association Between BMI Change and Suicide Mortality 2021 Aug;72(8):920-925. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000475. Epub 2021-04-22. PubMed
Platt R, Simon GE, Hernandez AF Is Learning Worth the Trouble? - Improving Health Care System Participation in Embedded Research 2021 Jul;385(1):5-7. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2101700. Epub 2021-06-26. PubMed
Simon GE, Stewart CC, Gary MC, Richards JE Detecting and Assessing Suicide Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic 2021 Jul;47(7):452-457. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2021.04.002. Epub 2021-04-22. PubMed
Coley RY, Johnson E, Simon GE, Cruz M, Shortreed SM Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Performance of Prediction Models for Death by Suicide After Mental Health Visits 2021 Jul;78(7):726-734. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.0493. PubMed
Simon GE, Matarazzo BB, Walsh CG, Smoller JW, Boudreaux ED, Yarborough BJH, Shortreed SM, Coley RY, Ahmedani BK, Doshi RP, Harris LI, Schoenbaum M Reconciling Statistical and Clinicians' Predictions of Suicide Risk 2021 May;72(5):555-562. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000214. Epub 2021-03-11. PubMed
Whiteside U, Richards J, Simon GE Brief Interventions via Electronic Health Record Messaging for Population-Based Suicide Prevention: Mixed Methods Pilot Study 2021 Apr 12;5(4):e21127. doi: 10.2196/21127. Epub 2021-04-12. PubMed
Harry ML, Coley RY, Waring SC, Simon GE Evaluating the Cross-Cultural Measurement Invariance of the PHQ-9 between American Indian/Alaska Native Adults and Diverse Racial and Ethnic Groups 2021 Apr;4. doi: 10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100121. Epub 2021-02-22. PubMed
Richards JE, Simon GE, Boggs JM, Beidas R, Yarborough BJH, Coleman KJ, Sterling SA, Beck A, Flores JP, Bruschke C, Grumet JG, Stewart CC, Schoenbaum M, Westphal J, Ahmedani BK An implementation evaluation of "Zero Suicide" using normalization process theory to support high-quality care for patients at risk of suicide 2021 Jan;2. doi: 10.1177/26334895211011769. Epub 2021-05-24. 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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