Jessica Kovach, MD, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, effective April 1. Dr. Kovach has been serving as Interim Chair since April 2021.

“We are pleased to announce Dr. Kovach’s appointment as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine,” said Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS, Interim Dean of the Katz School of Medicine. “Under Dr. Kovach’s guidance and leadership, the Department has continued to grow and advance, with an excellent faculty and outstanding programs in clinical care, medical student education and scholarly research.”

“The department’s clinical services – which include Philadelphia’s busiest psychiatric Crisis Response Center – are robust,” added Michael A. Young, MHA, FACHE, President and CEO of Temple University Health System. “As Chair, Dr. Kovach will continue to guide and oversee all aspects of departmental activities – including inpatient and outpatient behavioral health, consultation-liaison and psychosomatic medicine services, research programs with collaborators throughout the Katz School of Medicine and Temple University, a popular grand rounds program and annual lecture series, and a nationally respected residency program.”

Dr. Kovach joined the Katz School of Medicine faculty in 2010 and served as Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science and Vice-Chair of Clinical Psychiatry for the Department before her interim Chair appointment. She has also served as Director of the Psychiatry Residency program since 2014.

“The residency program has achieved a national reputation under Dr. Kovach’s guidance – attracting applicants from all over the country,” said Claire Raab, MD, President and CEO of Temple Faculty Physicians. “The program provides an outstanding education for the next generation of psychiatrists through a balanced curriculum of didactics, individual mentoring, and diverse supervised clinical experiences.”

Dr. Kovach has also held numerous leadership positions in the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training. She is the recipient of several honors, including the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society Outstanding Educator Award and Katz School of Medicine’s Faculty Educational Excellence Award for Graduate Medical Education.