News

While no obituary has been released, we wanted to make you aware of the passing of Fred Mimmack, MD. Dr. Mimmack died on Thursday, November 10, 2022, in his home surrounded by family.

Dr. Mimmack received both his undergraduate and medical education at Stanford University, graduating with his MD in 1957. His internship and psychiatric training were done at the University of Colorado Medical Center followed by serving as Chief of the Mental Health Consultation Service at Fitzsimons Army Hospital from 1961-1963. He worked as a staff psychiatrist at both the Wardenburg Student Health Service at the University of Colorado Boulder and the Colorado Women’s College of Denver through the 60’s and 70’s. As a professor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Dr. Mimmack’s excellence in teaching earned him numerous awards. He won the Outstanding Medical Clinical Faculty Award (UCSHS) in 1976, the Second Annual Eleanor A. Steele Award for Excellence in Teaching Award in 1983, and the Jay Scully, M.D. Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1993, to name a few.

In 1986, Dr. Mimmack graduated from the Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis. Upon graduation, he joined the Institute Faculty teaching diverse courses such as: theory of dreams, adult development, traumatic overstimulation, the development of gender identity, and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. In 1995, he developed and chaired a Study Group on Psychoanalysis and Homosexuality.

Dr. Mimmack was also a long-time member of the Society. He served as reviewer of the Society Newsletter for many years and organized the Film Series in the early 2000’s. Dr. Mimmack’s salon What the Horse Whisperer Taught the Psychoanalyst was so well received, he was asked back to do several more salons along this same vein. The Society was honored to be a part of Dr. Mimmack’s last film discussion of The Boys of ‘36 in April 2022.

Dr. Jacob Jacobson wrote this about Dr. Mimmack (1997), “I consider him an outstanding psychiatrist and psychoanalyst and a distinguished colleague and teacher who has made noteworthy contributions to psychiatry and to psychiatric education, as well as to the psychoanalytic and broader general communities. He represents well our highest ideals of professional excellence, integrity, and dedication.” Fred Mimmack, MD was an integral part of both the Institute and Society for many years, and he will be dearly missed! If more information becomes available, it will be posted in the News area of the website.

We are saddened by the death of Stuart Plummer, Ph.D. on December 15, 2021, as reported in the Denver Post on December 21, 2021.

Familiarly known as Stu Plummer, Dr. Plummer received a PhD, in theological studies from Princeton University. In 1960, Stu Plummer created the Department of Pastoral Education and Care at Presbyterian Medical Center in Denver and served in various leadership roles including being a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Supervisor of CPE students.

Dr. Plummer studied alongside psychoanalytic candidates and received a diploma in Applied Psychoanalytic Studies in 1981 from the Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis.

At Presbyterian, Stu created a psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, role-responsive, non-denominational framework for the work of the chaplaincy students. These students on the front lines of care applied these concepts to their work with injured and dying patients and families in the emergency room and hospital floors.

Dr. Mary Ann Levy whom Dr. Plummer recruited to provide psychoanalytic/psychiatric consultation for the chaplaincy students, recalled her experiences with Stu, his students and the program: “I worked with many chaplains over nearly twenty years in a case discussion group and found their skills exemplary as a result of Stu Plummer and his colleagues. It was an honor to work with him in classes as we discussed complex medical, psychiatric and emotional needs. He left a legacy of many compassionate and competent pastoral counselors and was an impressive person who generated skilled chaplains who understood and utilized psychoanalytic principles where relevant.”

Stu was active in the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) and served in Regional Director and Interim Executive Director roles. He was awarded the ACPE 2001 Distinguished Service Award for his contributions and leadership as an ACPE Supervisor.

After retiring from chaplaincy training, he had a private practice in Denver. In his spare time, Stu enjoyed reading, listening to music, watching sports, skiing, fishing, hiking with family, playing basketball, squash, and tennis. He loved to sing and will be remembered for his beautiful voice.

Stu was preceded in death by his parents F. Arnold and Phebe S. Plummer and his wife Maxine (Glaz). He is survived by his wife Agnes Bourne; his former wife Sally; his children (with Sally) Sarah (Lisa) Davis, David, and Nancy; his stepdaughter Rachel Walaskay and step-granddaughters Kylie Squires and Sara Squires.

A private graveside service for family is planned for the spring or early summer. In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation to a charity of your choice in his name.

Click here to read the Obituary from Denver Post & Legacy.com

At the 2021 Institute Annual Banquet and Graduation, the graduates from 2020 were recognized and certificates were awarded to Kelly Crim, LPC, Amanda Hutchison, MD, Rachel Louden, LCSW, Sangeeta Patel, MD, and Jeanne Theobald, MD for their completion of the Adult Analytic Program.   

Amanda Hutchison, MD also graduated from the Child & Adolescent Analytic Program.

The Analytic program consists of four years of post-graduate didactic training which is based on a tri-part model with three complimentary learning experiences:  a personal analysis, theoretical and clinical seminars, and supervised psychoanalytic work.

Congratulations!

Dr. William Bernstein was the consummate physician, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst. He was dedicated to psychoanalysis, education, his patients, his colleagues, and the many students whom he has mentored over the years. Until the very end of his life, he was constantly sought out as a teacher, supervisor, and consultant.

Bill completed his undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota in 1955. He went on to complete his medical education, also at the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1959. After receiving his medical degree, he and his wife Paula moved to Los Angeles for a rotating internship at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital where their son was born. Following his internship, Bill and his family came to Colorado for psychiatric residency. In the middle of his second year, Bill was suddenly drafted into the army. He served two years as a psychiatrist at Tripler Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, and then returned to complete his psychiatric residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1965. Bill immediately joined the full-time faculty at the University of Colorado Department of Psychiatry, working with Brandt Steele in the Psychiatric Liaison Division. He eventually became head of this Division, serving as its Director from 1973-1984.

During this time, he also completed his Psychoanalytic Training at the Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis, graduating in 1976. Bill was appointed to the position of Training and Supervising Analyst in 1986, continuing to supervise, teach, and mentor psychoanalytic candidates until the time of his death.

During his many decades as a faculty member, he served as President of the Denver Psychoanalytic Society and held multiple leadership roles within the Denver Institute. In addition, Bill chaired or served on almost every Institute committee. From 1995 until the present, Bill held the position of Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Bill extended his commitment to psychoanalytic education nationally, through his work on the Board on Professional Standards of the American Psychoanalytic Association. He served as a member of the Executive Council, Fellow to the Board, on the Committee on Institutes, and as Chair of the Committee on New Training Facilities.

One of Bill's greatest professional pleasures was as a member of the Center for Advanced Psychoanalytic Studies (CAPS). He loved attending the bi-annual meetings of his group for over 30 years.

Bill will be deeply missed by everyone whose lives he touched, both professionally and personally.

Congratulations to the Institute's 2016-2018 PTP class.  The graduates received their certificates at the 2018 Institute Annual Banquet.

• Jacqueline Calderone, MD
  
• Juan DeJesus, MD
  
• Sean LeNoue, MD   (not in photo)
  
• Karen Lenzi, LPC
• Meegan Lipman, MD  (not in photo)
  
• Sarah Beth McMurray, LCSW
  
• Akos Mersich, MD, PhD
  
• Diana Pitaru, MS
  
• Alexis Ritvo, MD, MPH

The 2018 Institute Annual Banquet's last set of certificates were awarded to Heath Canfield, DO and David Williams, MD for their completion of the Adult Analytic Program. 

The Adult Analytic program consists of four years of post-graduate didactic training which is based on a tri-part model with three complimentary learning experiences:  a personal analysis, theoretical and clinical seminars, and supervised psychoanalytic work.

Congratulations!

The 2018 Institute's Annual Banquet kicked off with Cheryl Straus-Witty, Ph.D., chair of the Awards Committee, honoring Shoshana Adler, PhD with the Brandt Steele award.

The Brandt F. Steele Award reflects the life long intellectual curiosity and commitment to teaching, research, treatment and community service of Dr. Steele.  Dr. Adler, a clinical psychologist and child and adult psychoanalyst, is deeply deserving of this award.