Christy Waters, MD

Christy S Waters, MD graduated from University of California at Davis School of Medicine Internship in medicine at white Memorial Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (Loma Linda affiliate). She served three years with United States Air Force as a general medical officer. This was followed by a residency in adult psychiatry at the University of California, Davis, Sacramento Medical Center. She was chosen as Outstanding Resident by the Department of Psychiatry faculty members.While working in the psychiatry clinic for a large HMO in the Sacramento Valley she had the opportunity to become the first full-time addiction psychiatrist for this group in a new chemical dependency program. In addition to evaluating and treating patients she was responsible for teaching other staff about co-occurring psychiatric disorders and the safe use of medications for relief of suffering, promotion of Recovery in these individuals. She also enjoyed teaching medical students and residents who rotated through the clinic. She participated in a number of studies which promoted evidence-based treatment for addictive disorders, including a study showing patients do better if they receive all of their care (medical, psychiatric, obstetric, chemical dependency) in the same clinic/building with integrated staff. Families do better in health measures if an impaired member has their addiction treated. Brain function does improve with abstinence. Hepatitis C does not prevent the use of most medications including Medication Assisted Treatment.Dr Waters promoted the use of groups for patients requiring longer term monitoring and refills of their medications beginning in 2000 with benzodiazepines (tranquilizers.). This was expanded in 2006 to have groups for persons taking Buprenorphine for Medication Assisted Treatment.She advocated for and helped implement a Dual Diagnosis Intensive Outpatient Program which was the first one for this HMO. It was then duplicated at other sites. Persons acutely I'll from the overlap of psychiatric and addictive disorders could be stabilized before starting the more usual and frequently demanding "Rehab" program which operated seven days a week.She continues to be very interested in the intersection of medical and psychiatric illness. She has a great deal of experience with mood disorders that overlap with eating disorders that further overlap with addictive disorders.Dr Waters is a long time and active member of the California Society of Addiction Medicine. She organized a workshop in detoxification strategies for physicians in solo / rural practice. She has been a member of the Public Policy Committee, serving as Chairperson 2008 - 2016. In this time she oversaw a number of legislative efforts that improved the life of her patients', their families, and their communities such as of Overdose Treatment Act in 2014. This bill which was signed into law by the Governor allows anyone to possess and administer prescription naloxone to any other person who might be experiencing life-threatening respiratory depression from an excessive opioid dose.She looks forward to finding how best to improve personal and group function.