James P. Kelleher, MD

James P. Kelleher, MD, MBA, DLFAPA, is a Board Certified psychiatrist and Medical Director and the Susan Shannon Engeleiter Endowed Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services at Eisenhower Behavioral Health.

In this role, he leads efforts to expand and enhance behavioral health services throughout the Coachella Valley, strengthen partnerships with community organizations, recruit and develop clinical talent, and advance access to much-needed mental health care for the region''s growing population. He is a healthcare executive with more than two decades of experience in clinical psychiatry, behavioral health leadership, academic medicine, and healthcare innovation. 

Dr. Kelleher earned his medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, completed his psychiatry residency at Harvard Medical School affiliated hospitals and obtained an MBA from Columbia Business School.

His expertise encompasses inpatient and outpatient psychiatry, mood disorders, psychiatric research, healthcare administration, and behavioral health program development. He is widely recognized for his contributions to advancing psychiatric care, cultivating physician leadership, and developing innovative behavioral health services.  His pharmacology research has been recognized with individual awards from the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research and the National Institute of Mental Health for demonstrating a novel mechanism of antipsychotic action, now used in the blockbuster drug cariprazine (Vraylar®).

In addition to his accomplishments in psychiatry, Dr. Kelleher brings a unique background in finance and investment banking. He holds Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 63 and Series 79 licenses and has worked across a variety of business and financial settings as a consultant, Chief Medical Officer, founder, and Chief Executive Officer. This combination of clinical, academic, and business expertise has enabled him to successfully lead organizations through periods of growth, innovation, and transformation.