During a time of unprecedented demand for behavioral health services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Thomas Lupton’s mix of servant-style leadership, collaboration, transparent fairness, autonomy, and kindness led his department to meet the challenge with tremendous success.
As he reshaped his team, Dr. Lupton placed great importance on growing diversity. “There was only one female psychiatrist when I became chief. By hiring only the best, now we have 50% female psychiatrists, variety in age and career experience, and many languages spoken. Our team is bonded to each other because they share the same values, mission, and vision. And, my providers find tremendous satisfaction in caring for their patients and each other.”
Dr. Lupton’s leadership has created a department culture of collegiality such that the South San Francisco psychiatry physicians are the highest scoring on both the Physician Opinion Survey and the Joy & Meaning in Medicine survey. He is a tireless ambassador for psychiatry throughout the medical center and the region in his mission to improve access and quality of care.