Announcement

Congratulations to Lia Gaggino on her retirement

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Alyssa Wealty |

Jan 12, 2026

Congratulations to Lia Gaggino on her retirement

We’d like to recognize Dr. Lia Gaggino, a tireless advocate for children’s mental health both within her roles at the American Academy of Pediatrics, nationally and statewide, as well as within MC3.

As we were developing MC3 in its early days, we had the good fortune of being connected with Lia after learning that she was the “go-to physician” for all things mental health on the west side of the state.

Lia has been a key partner of MC3 since the beginning, a tenacious advocate for children’s mental health and MC3 in Lansing, an expert presenter and facilitator for several Project ECHO® series, and instrumental in the development of MC3’s youth suicide prevention and safety planning quality improvement initiative, live trainings, and forthcoming video series.

She was also the developer and host of “Pediatric Meltdown,” a popular podcast that brought together experts on a wide range of pediatric mental health topics that ran from 2020 to 2025. The quality of the experts and Lia’s warm, conversational style make these a joy to listen to and learn from.

Recently, Lia developed the Building Better Workflows workbook, a detailed resource designed to equip pediatric primary care providers and clinic staff with the skills they need to identify and manage behavioral and mental health care for children in their practice.

Lia retired at the end of 2025, and we are forever indebted to her. She has been an instrumental part of MC3’s history. She is energetic, wise, and beloved by her colleagues throughout Michigan and the country.

Thank you, Lia, and enjoy a well-deserved retirement. We will gladly welcome you back for a guest appearance any time!

Sheila Marcus, M.D., Founder of MC3, and the MC3 Program Team

(L-R) Former HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, MC3 Behavioral Health Consultant Mindy Evans, former MC3 psychiatrist Richard Dopp, M.D., former Senator Debbie Stabenow, MC3 champion Lia Gaggino, M.D., and pediatrician Yakov Sigal, M.D. at an event announcing new HRSA funding for MC3 in Lansing, Sep. 2023.

(L-R) Jessica Pierce, M.D., M.Sc., Sheila Marcus, M.D., Lia Gaggino, M.D., Cassandra Kotajarvi, LMSW, and Kristie Hechtman at the Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions conference in Marquette, April 2025.

(L-R) Sheila Marcus, Anne Kramer, and Lia Gaggino at a gathering to celebrate Lia’s retirement in Ann Arbor, Jan. 2026.

Announcement

Announcing MC3’s new Pediatric Medical Director, Dr. Joanna Quigley

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Alyssa Wealty |

Oct 6, 2025

MC3 welcomes Dr. Joanna Quigley as its new Pediatric Medical Director, effective October 1, 2025.

Dr. Quigley brings a wealth of expertise to this position, including a longstanding history of serving as an MC3 consulting psychiatrist, providing collaborative care, and managing complex medical conditions.

Dr. Quigley is triple-boarded, with expertise as an adult and child psychiatrist, and as a pediatrician. She has interests in integrated care, psychosomatics, addiction psychiatry, and maternal-child health. Dr. Quigley’s triple board and intimate knowledge of pediatrics position her to tailor MC3 to the needs of PCPs.

She has conducted extensive work in collaborative care through her roles in MC3 as both a pediatric and perinatal consultant, as well as in the U-M Department of Psychiatry’s Consultation Liaison services, and in embedded clinical practice within pediatric offices at Michigan Medicine. As the Associate Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Ambulatory Services, she has a thorough understanding of managing large and complex systems, including staffing and budgeting time and resources.

Dr. Quigley will guide future program modifications based on input from stakeholders. Her prior and ongoing work with the U-M Addiction Treatment Services will allow her to tailor the program to the needs of providers caring for patients with co-occurring addiction disorders. Similarly, her work with medically complex children and strong relationships with pediatricians across the state and the AAP will be a wonderful addition to MC3.

She is taking over the role previously held since MC3’s inception in 2012 by its founder, Dr. Sheila Marcus. Dr. Marcus will continue working with MC3 as a consulting psychiatrist.

“I am thrilled to welcome Joanna Quigley to her new role as Pediatric Medical Director of MC3. As a triple-boarder, Joanna speaks fluently in both the language of the child psychiatrist and the primary care clinician. She has worked in embedded primary care clinics and is well-versed in the pace and demands of primary care. As the mother of three young children, she is accustomed to keeping many balls in the air at once. Joanna is wise, witty, and a pleasure to work with. It is a joy to welcome her to the leadership team,” said Dr. Marcus.

Learn more about Dr. Joanna Quigley

Announcement

MC3 funding restored in state budget

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Alyssa Wealty |

Oct 3, 2025

October 3, 2025

We are thrilled and relieved to share that the Michigan legislature has approved the state budget. It includes funding for MC3. It is undeniable that this is due to the outpouring of support and action of countless individuals around the sate.

We are deeply grateful for your support.

Your emails and calls urged our legislators to recognize how critical MC3’s services are to our many communities across the state, and our legislators heard and responded by continuing to fund this program. We are honored to be able to continue providing high-quality psychiatric consultation, education, and resources at no cost.

Please accept our sincere thanks as we enter this weekend, knowing that together we are all making a difference in the lives of countless children and perinatal patients across the state of Michigan.

In gratitude and service,

The MC3 Program Team

Announcement

Congratulations to Anne Kramer on her retirement

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Alyssa Wealty |

Oct 2, 2025

Congratulations to Anne Kramer on her retirement

The MC3 Program Team congratulates MC3’s first Program Director, Anne Kramer, on her retirement, effective October 1, 2025.

After completing her Master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan in 1985, Anne spent four decades in the mental health field as a clinician, educator, research coordinator, and program administrator.

When MC3’s founder, Dr. Sheila Marcus, launched MC3 in 2012, Anne was the first staff person hired to support and grow the program. The final years of her career were dedicated to the development of MC3. According to Dr. Marcus, “MC3 wouldn’t be what it is without Anne.”

Anne is an effective leader, staunch mental health educator and advocate, and nationally recognized for her expertise in developing and implementing psychiatry access programs.

Below are some excerpts from remarks made by Anne’s colleagues in celebration of her retirement:

“Your remarkable combination of skills was foundational to building a program that impacted thousands of lives. Your heartfelt caring and strong, but gentle leadership brought out the best in everyone.”

“Thank you for your encouragement and for fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.”

“Anne, you are an incredible mentor, leader, diplomat, peacemaker and advocate. Your life’s work and the impact you have made on the lives of children, women and all who you have worked with should be looked upon with immense pride. You will be greatly missed.”

“You are a shining example of mentorship with compassion, and you bring out the best in people.”

“You have made such a lasting impact on not only me, but everyone you worked with. What a legacy you are leaving behind as you start the next chapter!”

“Not too many people get to this point in their career and are able to see the ‘fruits of their labor.’ You have been integral in the development and the success of MC3 in Michigan. I cannot imagine that MC3 would be at the point it is today without you and your commitment to its success.”

Anne is being succeeded by Jenni Lane. While Anne’s colleagues will miss working with her, they are excited that she will now have the opportunity to enjoy endless travel and spend more time with her family.

Best wishes, Anne. Congratulations on your long and illustrious career!

Announcement

Explore curated resources for mental health awareness in October

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Alyssa Wealty |

Oct 2, 2025

Explore curated resources for mental health awareness in October

October is all about mental health, with the following awareness events taking place:

ADHD Awareness Month
Depression Awareness Month
Mental Illness Awareness Week, Oct. 6–12
National Depression Screening Day, Oct. 7
World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10

In recognition of each awareness event, we’ve curated collections of some of our latest screening tools, treatment guidelines, and educational videos to assist pediatric and perinatal providers in treating the most common mental and behavioral health concerns.

Explore our curated resources for providers by clicking on each section below:

For additional assistance with supporting a specific patient, request a consult with an MC3 psychiatrist.

Announcement

Take action to preserve MC3’s funding

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Alyssa Wealty |

Sep 5, 2025

Take action to preserve MC3's funding

September 4, 2025

Last week, Michigan’s House of Representatives passed its proposed budget for FY 2026, making drastic cuts to many key maternal and child health line items, including cutting the entire budget for Michigan Clinical Consultation & Care (MC3). This is one of many steps in our state’s annual budget process. Negotiations will now begin among the House, Senate, and Governor until a final budget is adopted, ideally before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2025.

This is a critical moment to advocate for the continued funding of MC3. Here’s how you can help:

Send a letter and/or make a phone call to your state legislators, urging their continued support of this essential program. We have included a template and sample talking points below, as well as one-page impact infographic available for download. Please be sure to emphasize how you use this program and how you and your patients have benefited. We also encourage you to use the same social media text and graphic found at the bottom of this page.

Use these links to find the contact information for your legislators:

TEMPLATE letter or email with sample talking points:

To: State Senator and State Representative

I am a [insert type: e.g., primary care physician] in [insert city name]. I learned this week that funding for the Michigan Clinical Consultation & Care (MC3) program has been fully eliminated in the FY 2026 budget proposed by the House of Representatives. I am writing today to ask for your support in advocating for the continued funding of this program.

MC3 offers psychiatry support at no cost to primary care providers (PCPs) in Michigan who are managing patients with behavioral health problems. This includes children, adolescents, young adults through age 26, and women who are contemplating pregnancy, pregnant, or postpartum (up to one year) in every county in Michigan. MC3 provides a mental health lifeline to this vulnerable patient population, as the majority of Michigan counties have no child or perinatal psychiatrists.

MC3 provides PCPs serving perinatal women, children, and adolescents statewide with:

guidance on diagnostic questions,
evidence-based treatment recommendations through on-demand same-day consultation,
education on suicide prevention and many other behavioral health topics,
and referral to highly specialized, regional behavioral health consultants who can provide patients with resources and referrals in their community.

Key Outcomes and Highlights

Statewide Reach and Provider Accessibility: MC3 is available for same-day consultation in all 83 Michigan counties and 46 Community Health Services Program regions, supporting primary care providers who serve pediatric patients aged 0-26 and perinatal patients (including those contemplating pregnancy, pregnant, and postpartum).
Rural and Under-Resourced Regions: The program significantly enhances behavioral health resources and provider capacity in rural and under-resourced regions.
Patient Impact: In 2024, MC3 supported PCPs in their treatment of thousands of patients/families, facilitating timely and effective behavioral health interventions.
Provider Impact: MC3 enhances primary care providers’ confidence and skills in diagnosing and managing behavioral health conditions, allowing for more comprehensive in-practice patient care.
Outcomes: Patients of MC3-participating providers receive quicker treatment for depression and anxiety, with timely medication, follow-up, and therapy initiation. The service reduces the need for specialist referrals and costly emergency room visits.

[INSERT A STATEMENT ABOUT HOW YOU USE MC3 SERVICES and HOW YOUR PATIENTS HAVE BENEFITTED. LOCALIZE THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE & STRESS THAT YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT AND YOU SERVE THEIR CONSTITUENTS.]

Talking points you may choose to include:

Primary Care Providers (PCPs) like pediatricians and OB/GYNs are providing mental health care to women and children despite a lack of specialized training, as there are no other options for these patients to get this crucial care. PCPs routinely report distress in caring for illnesses far outside their training comfort zone, and PCP satisfaction with the program is universally high.
50% of children with mental health concerns are supported by PCPs.
1 in 7 women cared for by perinatal providers suffer from depression or anxiety. Perinatal depression is under-recognized and undertreated, and obstetrical care is ideal for supporting parents in getting needed and effective mental health care.
The far-reaching consequences of untreated mental illness are costly both personally and financially, including school drop-out, job loss, incarceration, involvement in the criminal justice system, substance use disorders, and chronic health conditions. Untreated mental illness frequently necessitates higher levels of care.
Untreated depression and other mental health disorders predispose individuals to suicide, which is the second most common cause of death among adolescents and one of the primary causes of maternal mortality in our state. Emergency rooms across the state of Michigan are currently filled with women and children who are unable to access critical life-saving mental health care.
The program prevents emergency room visits and hospitalizations across the state. It has also served as a “bridge” for PCPs after their patients are released from the hospital and sometimes have to wait for months to see a psychiatrist in a distant area.

Thank you in advance for your support of MC3.

If you are willing to be contacted by your legislator, you can include the following sentence before your signature: Feel free to contact me at [INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS] and [PHONE NUMBER] if you need additional information.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

TEMPLATE social media post:

🚨 Important: Take action to preserve MC3’s funding

MC3 helps every Michigan community build capacity to address mental health problems. Established in 2012, the Michigan Clinical Consultation & Care (MC3) program offers psychiatry support, resources, and education to primary care providers in over 1,000 clinics in Michigan who treat pediatric and perinatal patients with behavioral health problems.

MC3 reduces the need for emergency department visits. 94% of prescribers enrolled in MC3 agreed that psychiatric consultation reduced immediate need for higher levels of patient care and cost, such as emergency department visits.

MC3 increases provider confidence in treating mental health concerns. 98% of prescribers enrolled in MC3 agreed that psychiatric consultation increased their confidence in treating their patients’ behavioral health problems.

MC3 saves lives. Contact your legislators today to help save MC3!

Find your State Senator: https://lnkd.in/gn7tcHWf
Find your State Representative: https://lnkd.in/g98itV_N

Michigan’s most vulnerable are counting on us. Please share!

Announcement

AACAP statement on psychiatric medications and children’s mental health

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Kara Kucinski |

Sep 4, 2025

Black female doctor sits next to her black teen patient to offer comfort in the treatment room.

A recent statement from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry provides recommendations for the comprehensive treatment of youth with mental health needs, highlighting the roles of different interventions including psychopharmacological, psychological, social, academic, and familial.

Read the full statement below.

READ STATEMENT

Announcement

2025 September Suicide Prevention Month

No Comments |

Kara Kucinski |

Sep 2, 2025

Distressed teen patient listens to her doctor.

Learn more about how to assess suicide risk in your patients and how to support their mental health by exploring our curated resources.

VIEW RESOURCES

Announcement

Important update: Upcoming changes to Perinatal Patient Care

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Alyssa Wealty |

Aug 19, 2025

A message from Dr. Maria Muzik, MC3 Perinatal Medical Director

Message updated on October 28, 2025. Updated text is in italics.

Dear perinatal colleagues and partners,

I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing to share important updates regarding our Perinatal Patient Care service, which many of you know as our patient-directed service currently offered in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Ingham, and Genesee counties.

Over the past four years, it has been our privilege to support your patients with short-term therapy, care coordination, and intensive follow-up. We understand how vital these services are for perinatal patients facing mental health challenges, and our goal has always been to expand this support.

Due to recent funding changes, however, we will need to scale back the services offered. Beginning October 1, 2025, we will no longer be able to offer the full suite of supports as in the past. We want to keep you informed so you can best support your patients and plan transitions accordingly.

What Will Remain Available as of October 1, 2025:

Free, same-day access to a behavioral health consultant
Screening for mental health risk and brief needs assessment
Support services, including:
- Education on self-care and self-help resources
- Assistance navigating local support, financial, childcare, and other essential community resources
- Referrals to community-based therapy providers
- Referrals to perinatal peer support groups

What Will Be Changing as of October 1, 2025:

We will no longer be able to provide short-term therapy
Direct care coordination with your practice will conclude; however, prescribers can still consult with MC3 psychiatrists
Intensive follow-up (multiple contacts throughout the perinatal year) will not be available
We will no longer offer this service in Genesee County. However, we encourage providers in Genesee to refer patients to the MC3 Behavioral Resource Specialist.

We understand that these changes represent a significant shift from our previous model and that the transition may come with challenges. Please know that we are committed to supporting both you and your patients throughout this process.

As we move forward, we will continue to strengthen community resources and build robust referral networks to ensure your patients have ongoing access to the support they need. We are also actively seeking additional funding opportunities to restore or expand services in the future.

Below are links to download updated informational materials and an FAQ sheet to help clarify these changes:

We value your patience and partnership during this transition. Your feedback and questions are always welcome — we are here to support you and your patients every step of the way. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Perinatal Patient Care team at [email protected].

Thank you for your continued trust and collaboration. We deeply appreciate your dedication to Michigan families and look forward to working with you as we adapt and grow.

With warmth and determination,

Dr. Maria Muzik

Announcement

Introducing MC3’s new administrative leader, Jenni Lane

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Alyssa Wealty |

Jul 28, 2025

MC3 is excited to welcome its new administrative leader, Jenni Lane!

Jenni Lane has over twenty years of experience in health care improvement, bringing innovative concepts to practical application and measurable impact. Her expertise with grant proposal writing supports her oversight of workforce development and change management interventions across the stages of analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation, marketing, and dissemination. She specializes in evidence-based approaches, human-centered design, and adult learning principles to drive individual and systems-level change.

In her most recent role as Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance at the Weitzman Institute, Jenni led the growth and expansion of Weitzman’s national presence in training and technical assistance for health care professionals and primary care practices. She conducted market analyses to identify learner and sector needs, surfacing opportunities for innovative programming, partnership building, and revenue generation.

Previously, as Senior Program Manager at the University of Michigan Adolescent Health Initiative, Jenni co-developed and scaled two evidence-based interventions that are now implemented in hundreds of health centers and systems nationally. While there, Jenni trained and coached many interdisciplinary health center teams on practice improvements and workforce development around issues such as integrated behavioral health care, adolescent-centered care and teen pregnancy prevention, among many other topics.

She has received numerous national awards for her work incorporating innovative, positive youth development principles into the health care field, including the Partnership Award from the Institute for Patient and Family-Centered Care and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine’s Millar Innovation award. Jenni is a thought leader who has spent decades working within the nexus of positive youth development and health care improvement.

Jenni enjoys tackling difficult problems with creative, collaborative, and realistic solutions that connect the dots between performance indicators, patient needs, practice improvements, and access to high-quality care. She brings a servant leadership perspective to her program and personnel management, centering and nurturing individual and team strengths that optimize effective collaborations and organizational health.

Jenni will be overlapping with and then taking the helm from Anne Kramer, MC3’s longtime administrative leader, who will be retiring in the fall.