Dr. Thomas Gratzer

Thomas Gratzer, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist with more than 30 years of experience in general and forensic psychiatry. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively within hospitals and treatment centers across Minnesota, including Regions Hospital, United Hospital, Fairview University Medical Center, and Psych Recovery. His professional responsibilities include a demanding schedule of patient care and forensic psychiatric evaluations, reflecting his longstanding commitment to mental health treatment and assessment. Over the years, Dr. Thomas Gratzer has built a distinguished reputation in forensic psychiatry through leadership roles and specialized clinical work. He served as Senior Forensic Psychiatrist at the Minnesota Security Hospital and later became a consulting psychiatrist for the Minnesota Department of Corrections. In these positions, he provided care for individuals with serious psychiatric disorders and worked closely with incarcerated youth requiring specialized mental health treatment and evaluation services. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Gratzer has played an important role in psychiatric education and mentorship. He served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School from 2002 through 2021. During this time, he taught medical students, psychiatry residents, and law students, and delivered lectures at institutions in both Canada and the United States. His educational work helped prepare future professionals in psychiatry and forensic mental health. Dr. Gratzer’s accomplishments extend beyond psychiatry into computer science. As a student, he earned recognition at the Manitoba Science Fair for a computer program and later participated in Prince Philip’s International Science Fortnight in London. He also co-authored a book on TRS-80 programming. He contributed to the development of VP Info, a database programming language for IBM PCs that achieved broad commercial success and sold well at launch. A respected researcher and author, Dr. Gratzer has published several peer-reviewed papers focused on forensic psychiatry, compulsive behaviors, legal issues in mental health care, and treatment approaches for mentally disordered offenders. His research has received multiple honors, including awards from the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. These achievements reflect his dedication to advancing psychiatric research and improving clinical understanding. Originally from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, Dr. Thomas Gratzer completed his medical education and psychiatric residency at the University of Manitoba before pursuing a forensic psychiatry fellowship in Chicago. Outside of medicine, he enjoys tennis, skiing, fitness, travel, and exploring different cuisines. He remains committed to supporting education and mental health initiatives while continuing to contribute to psychiatry through both clinical practice and academic involvement.