Ilse Wiechers, MD, MPP, MHS
Associate Professor Adjunct of PsychiatryCards
Contact Info
Adjunct Faculty
Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, 795 Willow Road (152-MPD)
Menlo Park, CA 94025
United States
About
Titles
Associate Professor Adjunct of Psychiatry
Biography
Ilse Wiechers, MD, MPP, MHS is a practicing and board-certified adult and geriatric psychiatrist and a senior healthcare executive with the Department of Veterans Affairs. She currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director in VHA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. In this role, she leads the operations of OMHSP and the timely development and implementation of policies and programs that ensure Veteran-centered, evidence-based and high-quality mental health and suicide prevention services to over 1.9 million Veterans every year. She also leads OMHSP’s legislative policy and partnership work, engaging regularly with key Congressional and Veteran Service Organization stakeholders. She has been instrumental in the development of VHA’s portfolio of innovative mental health treatments including ketamine, esketamine, and psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Dr. Wiechers is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at University of California San Francisco and adjunct faculty at Yale University School of Medicine. She specializes in providing clinical care for Veterans with late-life mood, anxiety and trauma-related disorders and currently practices and provides care for Veterans in the San Francisco VA ketamine clinic. She teaches extensively to interprofessional healthcare audiences at all levels of training and experience. She is a collaborator on several grants focused on improving the quality of psychotropic prescribing and serves as an operational partner for several VA-funded studies. Dr. Wiechers has been deeply engaged in advocacy and policy work through her service to professional organizations. She is a past Secretary/Treasurer of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) Board of Directors, AAGP representative to the American Psychiatric Association Assembly, and served for 8 years as chair of the Public Policy Committee of the AAGP.
Dr. Wiechers completed her medical education at Duke University, residency at MGH/McLean Hospitals, and fellowship at Yale. She received a master’s degree in Public Policy from Duke University and a master’s degree in Health Science from Yale University. She is an alumna of the VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, the Yale RWJF/VA Clinical Scholars Program, and the John A. Hartford Foundation's Center of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Psychiatry Training Program. Dr. Wiechers is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry and the American Psychiatric Association and has been inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists.
Appointments
Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Post-doctoral Fellow
- Yale School of Medicine (2014)
- MHS
- Yale University School of Medicine (2014)
- Fellow
- Yale School of Medicine (2012)
- Resident
- MGH/McLean Hospitals (2010)
- MD
- Duke University (2005)
- MPP
- Duke University (2003)
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Declan Barry, PhD
Robert Kerns, PhD
Craig Rothenberg
Hannah Roggenkamp
Ismene Petrakis, MD
Joel Gelernter, MD
Psychotropic Drugs
Mental Health Services
Quality Improvement
Drug Utilization
Geriatric Psychiatry
Publications
2024
The Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder: Synopsis of the 2023 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline.
Schnurr P, Hamblen J, Wolf J, Coller R, Collie C, Fuller M, Holtzheimer P, Kelly U, Lang A, McGraw K, Morganstein J, Norman S, Papke K, Petrakis I, Riggs D, Sall J, Shiner B, Wiechers I, Kelber M. The Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder: Synopsis of the 2023 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2024, 177: 363-374. PMID: 38408360, DOI: 10.7326/m23-2757.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsClinical practice guidelinesU.S. Department of Veterans AffairsDepartment of Veterans AffairsVeterans AffairsPosttraumatic stress disorderManagement of posttraumatic stress disorderAcute stress disorderExternal group of expertsPractice guidelinesDefense Clinical Practice GuidelinesStress disorderPatient-centered careIndividual health outcomesRevised CPGDepartment of Defense Clinical Practice GuidelinesVideo teleconferencingStrength of evidenceQuality of lifeCo-occurring conditionsHealth outcomesPatient perspectiveEvidence-basedPosttraumatic stress disorder treatmentSystematic searchCognitive processing therapyClinical Outcomes of Intravenous Ketamine Treatment for Depression in the VA Health System.
Pfeiffer P, Geller J, Ganoczy D, Jagusch J, Carty J, Festin F, Gilmer W, Martis B, Ranganathan M, Wiechers I, Hosanagar A. Clinical Outcomes of Intravenous Ketamine Treatment for Depression in the VA Health System. The Journal Of Clinical Psychiatry 2024, 85 PMID: 38206011, DOI: 10.4088/jcp.23m14984.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPHQ-9 scoresKetamine infusionClinical outcomesSymptom improvementInfusion frequencyPatient Health Questionnaire-9 scoreVeterans Health Administration electronic medical recordsBaseline PHQ-9 scoreShort-term clinical trialsAntidepressant medication trialsFirst ketamine infusionIntravenous ketamine treatmentMonths of infusionFrequency of infusionsMinority of patientsVA health systemWeeks of treatmentRoutine clinical practiceMajor depressive disorderNumber of infusionsElectronic medical recordsIntravenous ketamineKetamine treatmentFirst infusionMedication trialsA clinician's guide to the 2023 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder
Lang A, Hamblen J, Holtzheimer P, Kelly U, Norman S, Riggs D, Schnurr P, Wiechers I. A clinician's guide to the 2023 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder. Journal Of Traumatic Stress 2024, 37: 19-34. PMID: 38184799, DOI: 10.1002/jts.23013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsClinical practice guidelinesAcute stress disorderPractice guidelinesPosttraumatic stress disorderStress disorderCPG recommendationsVA/DOD Clinical Practice GuidelineDefense Clinical Practice GuidelineFeasibility of interventionsEvidence-based practiceClinical algorithmClinician's GuideAvailable evidenceDisordersGuidelinesPatientsCliniciansRecommendationsContextual assessment
2022
The Management of Major Depressive Disorder: Synopsis of the 2022 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline.
McQuaid JR, Buelt A, Capaldi V, Fuller M, Issa F, Lang AE, Hoge C, Oslin DW, Sall J, Wiechers IR, Williams S. The Management of Major Depressive Disorder: Synopsis of the 2022 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2022, 175: 1440-1451. PMID: 36122380, DOI: 10.7326/m22-1603.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsClinical practice guidelinesMajor depressive disorderVeterans AffairsDepressive disorderPractice guidelinesDefense Clinical Practice GuidelineJoint clinical practice guidelineManagement of MDDTrustworthy clinical practice guidelinesUse of telemedicineMedicine's tenetsPharmacologic managementGuideline panelAlternative therapiesGRADE systemKey recommendationsPrior recommendationsClinical stakeholdersImportant new evidenceDisordersSelect recommendationsDepartmentGuidelinesManagementRecommendationsStrategies Associated With Reducing Benzodiazepine Prescribing to Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study
Maust DT, Takamine L, Wiechers IR, Blow FC, Bohnert ASB, Strominger J, Min L, Krein SL. Strategies Associated With Reducing Benzodiazepine Prescribing to Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study. The Annals Of Family Medicine 2022, 20: 328-335. PMID: 35879067, PMCID: PMC9328717, DOI: 10.1370/afm.2825.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAverage daily doseDaily doseOlder adultsVeterans Health AdministrationHealth care facilitiesCommunity-based settingsLorazepam equivalentsAppropriate prescribingPrescribing practicesBZD prescribingBZD treatmentOlder veteransCare facilitiesMethods studyHealth AdministrationPotential patientsBenzodiazepinesPrescribingPatient identificationIndividualized recommendationsMixed-methods studyAdultsCliniciansDoseVeteransEffect of Pharmacogenomic Testing for Drug-Gene Interactions on Medication Selection and Remission of Symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder
Oslin DW, Lynch KG, Shih MC, Ingram EP, Wray LO, Chapman SR, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J, Pyne JM, Stone A, DuVall SL, Lehmann LS, Thase ME, Aslam M, Batki S, Bjork J, Blow F, Brenner L, Chen P, Desai S, Dieperink E, Fears S, Fuller M, Goodman C, Graham D, Haas G, Hamner M, Helstrom A, Hurley R, Icardi M, Jurjus G, Kilbourne A, Kreyenbuhl J, Lache D, Lieske S, Lynch J, Meyer L, Montalvo C, Muralidhar S, Ostacher M, Paschall G, Pfeiffer P, Prieto S, Przygodzki R, Ranganathan M, Rodriguez-Suarez M, Roggenkamp H, Schichman S, Schneeweis J, Simonetti J, Steinhauer S, Suppes T, Umbert M, Vassy J, Voora D, Wiechers I, Wood A. Effect of Pharmacogenomic Testing for Drug-Gene Interactions on Medication Selection and Remission of Symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder. JAMA 2022, 328: 151-161. PMID: 35819423, PMCID: PMC9277497, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.9805.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMajor depressive disorderPatient Health Questionnaire-9Usual care groupUsual carePharmacogenomic testingDrug-gene interactionsRemission rateMedication selectionCare groupDepressive disorderVeterans Affairs Medical CenterActive substance use disorderCo-primary outcomesPrescription of medicationsBetter clinical outcomesProportion of prescriptionsRemission of symptomsSubstance use disordersEligible patientsWeek 24Effective antidepressantSingle antidepressantClinical outcomesInitial treatmentQuestionnaire-9Comparison of mental health outcomes of augmenting medications for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder: A national veterans affairs study
Ranney R, Maguen S, Woods A, Seal K, Neylan T, Bernardy N, Wiechers I, Ryder A, Cohen B. Comparison of mental health outcomes of augmenting medications for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder: A national veterans affairs study. Journal Of Evaluation In Clinical Practice 2022, 29: 191-202. PMID: 35709244, DOI: 10.1111/jep.13726.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsEmergency room visitsPosttraumatic stress disorderPsychiatric emergency room visitsAugmenting medicationsRoom visitsMental health outcomesPsychiatric hospitalizationHospitalization/emergency room visitsHealth outcomesStress disorderPTSD symptomsVeterans Affairs studyDiagnosis of PTSDMedication groupClinical trialsAdditional interventionsMedicationsBaseline levelsPatientsVeterans AffairsNew prescriptionsElectronic recordsVisitsHospitalizationSymptomsEvaluation of Antipsychotic Reduction Efforts in Patients With Dementia in Veterans Health Administration Nursing Homes
Gerlach LB, Maust DT, Kales HC, Chang M, Kim HM, Wiechers IR, Zivin K. Evaluation of Antipsychotic Reduction Efforts in Patients With Dementia in Veterans Health Administration Nursing Homes. American Journal Of Psychiatry 2022, 179: 544-552. PMID: 35615813, PMCID: PMC9349465, DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.21060591.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsVeterans Health AdministrationCNS-active medicationsVHA Nursing HomesNursing homesAnxiolytic prescribingOverall prescribingVeterans Health Administration nursing homesNursing home patientsNursing home residentsInterrupted time series designAntipsychotic reductionQuarterly prevalenceMedication classesOpioid medicationsAntidepressant prescribingAntipsychotic useMedication prescribingHome patientsPsychotropic medicationsLabel useHome residentsSimilar riskMedicationsPrescribingHealth Administration
2021
Impact of an interdisciplinary intervention for distress behaviors in dementia on psychotropic drug use in Veterans Health Administration Community Living Centers STAR-VA impact on psychotropic drug utilization
McConeghy KW, Curyto K, Jedele J, Intrator O, Mohr DC, Wiechers IR, Karel MJ. Impact of an interdisciplinary intervention for distress behaviors in dementia on psychotropic drug use in Veterans Health Administration Community Living Centers STAR-VA impact on psychotropic drug utilization. Geriatric Nursing 2021, 42: 1533-1540. PMID: 34739929, DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.10.009.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPsychotropic drug useDrug useVeterans Health Administration nursing homesPsychotropic medication usePsychotropic drug utilizationDistress behaviorsSTAR-VAMedication usePsychotropic useDrug utilizationCohort analysisNursing homesInterdisciplinary interventionEligible residentsStudy designTreatment effectsDementiaImportant optionResidentsBehavioral approachCasesAverage reductionDosesMonthsBenzodiazepine Prescribing from VA and Medicare to Dually Enrolled Older Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Lei L, Strominger J, Wiechers IR, Kim HM, Blow FC, Bohnert ASB, Min L, Krein SL, Maust DT. Benzodiazepine Prescribing from VA and Medicare to Dually Enrolled Older Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2021, 36: 3689-3696. PMID: 34047924, PMCID: PMC8642498, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-06780-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBZD prescriptionOlder veteransBZD prescribingHigher oddsPart DVeterans Affairs Health Care SystemRetrospective cohort studyPart D coverageMedicare Part D prescriptionsSubstance use disordersHealth care systemDesignRetrospective cohortPrescription prevalenceQuarterly prevalenceBenzodiazepine prescribingPart D prescriptionsCohort studyPatient characteristicsBZD useUse disordersFacility variationOlder agePrescribingBZDCare system
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
activity American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
Professional OrganizationsSecretary-TreasurerDetails03/01/2022 - 03/01/2023honor Inducted member
National AwardAmerican College of PsychiatristsDetails02/25/2023honor Distinguished Fellow
National AwardAmerican Psychiatric AssociationDetails05/21/2022honor Distinguished Fellow
National AwardAmerican Association for Geriatric PsychiatryDetails03/19/2022activity American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
Professional OrganizationsChairDetailsChair, Public Policy Committee03/16/2013 - 03/01/2022
Links & Media
News
- October 16, 2019
Four Faculty Speak About Their Career Journeys at APA Conference
- January 10, 2016
Wiechers chosen to receive award in geriatric psychiatry from APA
- February 17, 2014Source: PCare4NHV
Primary Care for New Haven
- October 31, 2013
Many vets prescribed medication without diagnosis of mental illness
Get In Touch
Contacts
Adjunct Faculty
Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, 795 Willow Road (152-MPD)
Menlo Park, CA 94025
United States