PROVIDENCE, RI – Butler Hospital hosted A Gallery Affair, a fundraising event, at The Providence Art Club in Providence, R.I. on the evening of Wednesday, November 9, 2016. In front of 150 attendees, Butler Hospital President and Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Price, MD, presented two annual awards to two members of the community for their contributions to Butler Hospital and impact on mental health in Rhode Island.

Robert J. Westlake, MD, received the 2016 Corporation Member of the Year award, an award presented each year to one of the 350 corporation members that make up the Butler Hospital Corporation. Dr. Westlake is recognized for supporting Butler and advocating for the hospital’s work and service to the community. Dr. Westlake has been connected to Butler Hospital since 1973, and, during his tenure as a psychiatrist and administrator, is credited with creating Butler’s partial hospital program, and helping to establish the education program for psychiatry residents. He also served as the vice-chair of adult services, and professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and professor emeritus of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. In presenting this award to Dr. Westlake, Butler President Dr. Price acknowledged Dr. Westlake for the support he provided during the earlier years of Dr. Price’s career as a psychiatrist and researcher.

G. Wayne Miller, prolific author for over 40 years, and journalist with The Providence Journal, was presented with the Lila M. Sapinsley Community Service Award. This annual award honors a member of the community for his or her personal achievements and contributions to the field of mental health and behavioral health care in Rhode Island. Miller is honored for his longtime advocacy for individuals affected by mental health, developmental disabilities and other areas of brain health. He began covering mental health and developmental disabilities for The Providence Journal in 1984, shortly after his arrival at the newspaper. Over the span of his career at The Providence Journal, he has won more than a dozen awards for his coverage of mental health and developmental disabilities. This year he wrote widely-read stories about schizophrenia, suicide, and a front-page feature on Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting, and in turn, greatly impacting the work of the Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital. “His advocacy is helping to break down the stigma attached to mental health, which is why we honor him tonight,” said Dr. Price.

The event raised $65,000 to support the highest priority needs of Butler Hospital. Co-chaired by Patricia A. Thompson, of Piccerelli Gilstein, and John D. Sinnott, of Gilbane were the co-chairs, the event was organized by the Butler Hospital Foundation and top sponsors included Cox Business, Professional Ambulance, Sodexo and an anonymous donor.

About Butler Hospital

Butler Hospital, a member of Care New England, is the only private, nonprofit psychiatric and substance abuse hospital serving adults, seniors and adolescents in Rhode Island and southeastern New England. Founded in 1844, it was the first hospital in Rhode Island and has earned a reputation as the leading provider of innovative psychiatric treatments in the region. The Major Affiliated Teaching Hospital for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Butler is recognized worldwide as a pioneer in conducting cutting-edge research.