Robert G. Piccinini, D.O., D.FACN, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Walter F. Patenge Medal of Public Service Award. This award is the highest honor from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and named for Walter F. Patenge, the first president of the Michigan Osteopathic Medicine Advisory Board.
With more than 30 years of experience in the field of psychiatry, Dr. Piccinini is a general, forensic, and geriatric psychiatrist in private practice. After earning his D.O. from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1992, Dr. Piccinini interned in the Internal Medicine Program at Genesys Regional Medical Center. He then went into a four-year psychiatry residency with Henry Ford Health System, followed by a psychiatry fellowship with the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he was the first D.O. in the Forensic Psychiatry Program. He is board-certified in geriatric psychiatry and general adult psychiatry and is a diplomate of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.
Dr. Piccinini is a trustee for the American Osteopathic Association and has served in a myriad of other capacities, from task forces to vice presidencies. He is the current director of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. Dr. Piccinini has also served in various roles in other professional organizations, including the American Osteopathic Examining Board of Neurology and Psychiatry, the American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists and the Macomb County Osteopathic Medical Association.
Dr. Piccinini has a long history of service to the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. Since the early ‘90s, Dr. Piccinini has served as an adjunct instructor of Community Health Services, a clinical instructor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, faculty for reproductive system biology and an assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry. In addition, he established three endowed scholarships for student education at the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in honor of various family members.
Outside of higher education, Dr. Piccinini has held multiple appointments. Most recently, he served as chief of psychiatry, as well as resident call coordinator for Henry Ford Macomb Hospital. He also consulted for Ford Motor Company to implement an international employee assistance program and develop protocols with Rouge Complex Medical Services for patients experiencing mental illness.
Previously, Dr. Piccinini was honored with a Distinguished Fellow Award, a Fellow Award and a Sydney Kanev Resident Paper Award from the American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists, as well as the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Dean’s Award for Meritorious Contribution. He’s given 30 presentations ranging in topics from opioid prescription and medical ethics to domestic violence and various mental health topics.
Dr. Piccinini will be recognized on May 14, 2024, during a special celebration.