Medical Director, VA/DC/MD
Dr. Gloria Osuruaka is a double board-certified adult and forensic psychiatrist who is passionate about mental health and the role it plays in leading a successful, purpose-driven life. Dr. Osuruaka has a global education and obtained a Bachelor of Science in biology and philosophy at Quinnipiac University and a medical degree at Ross University School of Medicine. Dr. Osuruaka completed her psychiatric training at Howard University Hospital and sub-specialized in forensic psychiatry at the world-renowned, first federally operated hospital in the United States, Saint Elizabeths Hospital. She has experience working in the outpatient setting, providing longitudinal care via telepsychiatry to individuals who sought to optimize their mental health during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Osuruaka has treated clients from all age groups dealing with various conditions, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, trauma, and eating disorders. Dr. Osuruaka was previously affiliated with a national provider of psychiatric services and has worked as interim chair and medical director for the Department of Psychiatry at Medstar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, leading the delivery of acute care to a diverse demographic of clients in the inpatient, emergency room, C&L, and partial hospitalization settings. Within this role, she introduced the use of positive behavioral support as a tool to decrease client agitation in the inpatient unit while strengthening the therapeutic milieu. Through collaborative efforts within the department, Dr. Osuruaka affirmed the need for the establishment of a long-acting injectable clinic to help address the barrier of medication non-compliance and decrease the frequency of psychiatric hospitalizations for this client population with serious mental illness by reviewing clinical data and client health outcomes largely influenced by social determinants.
Dr. Osuruaka has unique training in civil and criminal forensic psychiatry that has provided her skills in the nexus between human behavior, mental health, and the law. Her robust background has shaped her clinical practice of providing the highest quality of client care. Dr. Osuruaka has worked on various forensic evaluations not limited to violence-risk assessments, fitness-for-duty assessments, capacity and competency evaluations, aid-in-sentencing evaluations, prescribing practice evaluations, and independent expert opinion psychiatric assessments. She is an advocate of comprehensive provider health as a necessity for the delivery of excellent client care. Dr. Osuruaka enjoys teaching and professional networking and has presented peer-reviewed posters and sessions on relevant topics in psychiatry at multiple American Psychiatric Association Annual Meetings and the Black Psychiatrists of America Spring Conference in 2018. Clients can look forward to working with Dr. Osuruaka to find a unique treatment plan that helps them attain mental well-being and optimum overall health.