BONA, Dr. Joseph

Dr. Joseph Bona, of Atlanta, Georgia, MD, MBA, passed away June 1, 2020 at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. He was 59 years old. Dr. Bona served as the CEO and Chief Medical Officer of the DeKalb Community Service Board, a provider of mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disability services to citizens of DeKalb County. He was an advocate for mental health reform. In fact, shortly before his death, he was appointed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to serve on the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission. Dr. Bona said of his appointment, “It is an honor to be appointed by Gov. Kemp to this Commission and I look forward to working closely with my colleagues to help shape a better future for behavioral healthcare in Georgia.”

Dr. Bona was the son of psychiatrist Nicholas Bona and pharmacist Rosalba Silvana Bona (née DeDominico), Italian immigrants. He was born in Rockford, Illinois. Joe had one sister, Giovanna, who predeceased him and worked as a behavioral health technician prior to her illness.

Dr. Bona earned his medical degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo and completed his psychiatric training at the Duke University Medical Center. He and his wife, Laura Bona (née Roberts), met in Raleigh-Durham while Dr. Bona was completing his residency at Duke. The couple then moved to Tampa, Florida where they welcomed their treasured only child, Olivia. Dr. Bona moved the family to Atlanta after accepting a position as Vice-Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. He had over 30 years of experience in academic, industry, and community-based healthcare settings.

Dr. Bona was a great mentor to many and was highly revered in the medical community. He was a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, member of the American College of Psychiatrists, Past President of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association (GPPA), and recipient of the GPPA 2016 Psychiatrist of the Year Award. Dr. Bona maintained adjunct faculty appointments to the Departments of Psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine and the Medical College of Georgia.

In his spare time, Dr. Bona enjoyed researching and trading stocks, listening to classic rock, watching sports (especially hockey and football), golfing, and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Bona is survived by his wife, Laura, his daughter, Olivia, two brothers-in-law, two sisters-in-law, one niece, and four nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dr. Bona’s memory to Brighter DeKalb Foundation online (https://dekcsb.org/foundation/).