Theresa Miskimen Rivera, M.D., DLFAPA, is the current President of the American Psychiatric Association; a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA); a member of the American College of Psychiatrists, and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She served most recently as Medical Quality and Clinical Effectiveness Officer for Behavioral Health of the Department of Psychiatry at Hunterdon Medical Center, Flemington, New Jersey. Dr. Miskimen centered her public sector clinical practice on improving access and delivery of psychiatric care to bilingual and bicultural communities, developing and implementing intercultural clinical programs, and, most recently, serving as a consulting psychiatrist for a collaborative care practice in New Jersey. Her clinical work has informed research endeavors, resulting in numerous articles and lectures on diagnostic challenges and symptom phenomenology when treating racial and ethnically diverse populations, as well as ethical issues affecting psychopharmacological research among ethnic populations and the cultural aspects of patient symptomatology. For over 30 years, Dr. Miskimen has applied her passion and expertise to critical roles, including psychiatric clinical care, patient advocacy, community outreach, academic endeavors, and organizational leadership.

Dr. Miskimen has served in numerous community-facing initiatives and appointed positions under three past Governors of the State of New Jersey, addressing mental health issues spanning the intersection of technology and the delivery of psychiatric care, mental health in university settings, and youth suicide prevention.

She has served as a Delegate of the APA to the American Medical Association Section Council on Psychiatry. She is also a member of the Steering Committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Wellness through Equity and Leadership (WEL) program, which is tasked with developing a training curriculum and leadership experience for women physicians, mentoring participants, and establishing principles on equitable work environments.

Education

• Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, University of Puerto Rico (1986)
• Doctor of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus (1990)
• Psychiatry Residency, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersy (UMDNJ)/Rutgers University (1994)
• Health Services Research Institute Fellowship, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) (1998)
• Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN), Addiction Psychiatry (1998)

Awards and Honors

• Women's Advocate Award, APA Women's Caucus (2018)
• First Hispanic Speaker of the APA Assembly (2018)
• Golden Merit Award, New Jersey Psychiatric Association (2013)
• Appointed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to the Health Information Technology Commission (2010-2012)
• Honoree - 7th Annual Shining Lights: Outstanding Leaders, National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health (2010)
• Certificate of special recognition presented by the U.S. Senate for excellence in Hispanic Mental Health Advocacy and Leadership (2010)
• Appointed to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC), 2-year term, Voting Member (2010)
• U.S. ARMY Freedom Team Salute Commendation (2009)
• Appointed by New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine to the Campus Security Task Force, Mental Health Subcommittee (2007)