MOVE! Weight Management Program

Mark Shelhorse, MD Acting Chief Consultant, Mental Health Strategic Health Care Group Chief Medical Director, VISN 6 Dr. Shelhorse graduated magna cum laude with a BS degree in Chemistry from Augusta College in 1977. He completed his medical school training at the Medical College of Georgia in 1981 and his residency in psychiatry at the same institution in 1985. During his residency, Dr. Shelhorse spent a year in specialized psychopharmacology training at the Medical College of Georgia and served from 1984-1985 as a Psychiatric Consultant to the Georgia State Prison System. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology. Dr. Shelhorse joined the VA in 1985 at Tuscaloosa as a staff psychiatrist on an acute psychiatric unit; over the next four years, he served as Research and Development Coordinator and lead physician on the Substance Abuse Care Unit. He left Tuscaloosa to become the Chief of Psychiatry at the Knoxville, Iowa VA in 1989 and subsequently became Chief of Staff there in 1991. In 1993, he was appointed Chief of Staff at the Beckley, West Virginia VA and in April 1995 became Chief of Staff at Hampton VAMC. He also served as the VISN 6 Service Line Manager for Mental Health. In 1998, Dr. Shelhorse moved to the position of Executive Medical Director of Mental Health for VISN 7 and served the collateral role of Medical Director for Tuscaloosa VAMC. He also served as the VISN Champion for the High Performance Development Model and the Chair of the VISN Service Line Council. Dr. Shelhorse is currently serving as the Acting Chief Consultant, Mental Health Strategic Health Care Group, Veterans Health Administration. At the national level, his duties include: CMO Steering Committee; CMO Representative to NLB; CMO Representative to Policy Board; Member, SCMI Committee (Chair Geropsychiatry Subcommittee); Member, Performance Management Work Group; Member, MH FAB; Member, IHI Steering Committee; and Member, Workforce Planning Group. He is also the Chief Medical Director for VISN 6, where he is responsible for VISN Clinical Program Oversight, Credentialing/Privileging/ Waiver Requests, and the Chiefs' of Staff Council. Dr. Shelhorse has interests in geology, hiking, gardening, biking, classical guitar and participation in choral groups.