Richard E. Powers, MD
As a psychiatrist, geriatric psychiatrist, and neuropathologist, Dr. Richard Powers has had a profound impact on the lives of elderly citizens in Alabama. His leadership as director of the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Bureau of Geriatric Psychiatry has resulted in a continuum of care within Alabama communities that include community mental health centers and Alzheimer’s support groups; a mass-scale education program for Alzheimer’s caregivers; and the development of a state-of-the-art geriatric psychiatry hospital– the Mary Starke Harper facility in Tuscaloosa. This facility provides short-term treatment to individuals over 65 with dementia and serves as a teaching hub for students, families, and the community.
Dr. Powers is also recognized for training a large number of young professionals to care for Alabama’s older citizens and for the creation of the Brain Bank at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.