Department News
Boris Astrachan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, 1931-2002

Boris Morton Astrachan, MD B: Bronx, NY, December 1, 1931 D: Chicago, IL, September 21, 2002 Dr. Boris Morton Astrachan, a founder and leader of the field of administrative psychiatry died on September 21st of pancreatic cancer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

He was an important figure in Illinois mental health and was Distinguished Professor Emeritus and former Head of the department of psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Born in New York City on December 1, 1931 to Russian immigrant parents Dr. Isaac and Ethel Astrachan, Dr. Boris Astrachan graduated from Bronx Science in New York City, received his cum laude undergraduate degree from Alfred University, and earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Albany Medical School. After serving in the Navy as Lieutenant Commander, he joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine in 1963, becoming a full Professor in 1971. Dr. Astrachan rose to the positions of Director of the Connecticut Mental Health Center and Deputy Department Chair, positions he held until he left for Chicago in 1990. In his administrative positions he always sought to link university programs to state and community needs. His research focused on depression, schizophrenia, group process, systems theory, and administrative psychiatry. He was a strong voice in American psychiatry serving in key national positions including the board of ADAMHA (Alcohol, Drug Addiction, Mental Health Administration), chair of the National Institutes of Mental Health Study Section on Mental Health Services Research, and President of the American Association of Psychiatric Administrators. As a visionary leader always on the forefront of psychiatry, Dr. Astrachan helped usher the change from Analytic dominance to Social and Community Psychiatry in the late 50s and early 60s and in the late 70s and early 80s he helped lead the charge to shift psychiatry from a therapeutic discipline to a reliance on neuropharmacology. In Illinois and Connecticut, he played a strong role in working with the legislature, the courts, and the state to make improvements in child welfare and mental health policy. Jess McDonald, Director, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, stated that, " No one was better at helping ego driven grown men and women settle down and achieve greatness together than Boris Astrachan. He was a man who made a difference in the lives of others and was of enormous help to Illinois." Former Connecticut Mental Health Commissioner (now Director, Ohio Department of Mental Health) Michael Hogan added that, "Boris was a man with the finest mind and a huge heart. As a founder and leader of the field of administrative psychiatry he felt strongly that physicians should learn how to manage efficiently as well as provide the most effective health care."

Most importantly, Dr Astrachan was a valued teacher and mentor for generations of medical students and residents. His warmth and dedication to each individual made him a desired supervisor. The Study Director of the President's Commission on Mental Health during the Carter Administration, Dr. Gary Tischler commented, "We have all been enriched by Boris' wisdom, warmed by his humor and astounded by his organizational abilities, his gift was to make us believe that it is not enough to make a record of the world, it is necessary to change it."

In 1990, Dr. Astrachan joined the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago as Professor and Head. He is credited with the revitalization of the department and during his tenure its responsibilities and budget grew nearly ten-fold; research expertise and funding grew dramatically, and the department became a national leader in prevention and intervention research among youth in conditions of urban poverty.

Dr. Astrachan served on numerous significant national committees, authored or co-authored nearly 200 publications and was on the editorial boards of major psychiatric and behavioral science journals, including the Archives of General Psychiatry, The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Cultural Diversity and Mental Health Journal, and Administration in Mental Health. According to current head of the UIC Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Joe Flaherty, "Boris is regarded both nationally and internationally as a consultant who could transform anachronistic systems of health care into modern, functional, patient and provider-friendly systems." Dr. Astrachan earned many recognitions, including several from classes of residents in psychiatry, the Administrative Psychiatry Award from the American Psychiatric Association, Lifeline 2002 Award from the Community Mental Health Council, The Distinguished Faculty Award from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Albany Medical College. Dr. Astrachan was a fellow of several associations including the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Psychiatrists. He was a board member of many academic and other organizations including the IBM Mental Health Advisory Board, the National Clinical Advisory Board for Psychiatric Service for Healthcare Services of America, and the John Paul II Newman Center.

Dr. Astrachan is survived by his wife, Batja; his sons David (Orange, CT), Joseph (Atlanta, GA), and Michael (West Hartford, CT); his daughter Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher (Oak Park, IL); his brother Samuel Astrachan (Provence, France), and ten grandchildren. Memorial services will be held at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden, Connecticut and in Chicago.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations to the Johns Hopkins Pancreatic Cancer Research program in Baltimore be made in Dr. Astrachan's memory. You may send donations made payable to Johns Hopkins University to Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee, Johns Hopkins, The Bunting-Blaustein Cancer Research Building, Room 4 M 12, 1650 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21231-1000.