DiFranco begins term as president of Michigan Psychiatric Society

The Michigan Psychiatric Society has elected Dr. Duane DiFranco, vice president of Medicare Stars and Clinical Management at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, as its president. He will serve as the president of the Michigan Psychiatric Society until May 2021.

In a blog on MI Blues Perspectives, DiFranco said his work with behavioral health providers across the state allows him to advocate for mental health issues that affect a “forgotten and relatively neglected segment of our population.”

“We do a lot of advocacy for our constituents and for Michiganders that suffer from mental illness,” he said. “To be able to lend my voice and to be able to steer the direction of our professional society as we deal with these issues on the front lines is a tremendous opportunity.”

DiFranco, a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, has been a member of its district branch — the Michigan Psychiatric Society — since 1993. He began his career that year as a resident at the University of Michigan, where he spent 10 years as a faculty member.

DiFranco began working for Blue Care Network in 2007 and spearheaded the launch of our internal Opioid Task Force, which he spoke about in an article in Hospital and Physician Update late last year. He also frequently writes columns for this newsletter on topics ranging from the opioid epidemic to care management.

DiFranco added that the experience of working at Blue Cross has been an asset in contributing to the work of the Michigan Psychiatric Society — and vice versa.
“It’s valuable to get the perspective I get by serving on the society with my fellows who are on the front lines treating mental health. It gives me an eye to what’s happening in the state in terms of mental health,” DiFranco said. “I think I bring a perspective that isn’t always present as practitioners are debating policy issues, such as prior authorization and reimbursement. It’s helpful for payers and providers to have a channel of communication.”

The Michigan Psychiatric Society represents the interests and professional needs of psychiatric physicians in Michigan while striving to ensure quality care for people with mental disorders and their families through promotion of education, research and advocacy.

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