Candidate for Area 2 Trustee

Fellow, 1977

The future of APA lies in the actions it takes to serve our members and our patients. As Area 2 trustee, my goals would be: identifying the advocacy, practice, and membership issues for New York psychiatrists; effectively communicating these issues to the national APA; and working to implement practical solutions at the national and local levels.

Effective advocacy is essential. Key issues include: managing managed care, confidentiality of medical information, true parity of coverage and access to quality treatment for all patients, protecting the private psychiatrist and enhancing the role of the psychiatrist in public systems, and increasing funding for research. In the wake of the World Trade Center disaster, preventive services, adequate care, and thoughtful research on the treatment of disaster victims become critical issues as well. As the legislative representative from New York County, I have been active in lobbying at the state and national levels and appreciate the commitment of resources necessary to achieve results. As Area trustee, I would work to ensure the necessary allocation of APA resources for effective advocacy in these areas.

Another area for advocacy where APA needs to sharpen its focus is public psychiatry. Through its advocacy and public affairs functions, APA should increase its efforts to fight the stigma of mental illness, prevent the demedicalization of services in the public sector, and ensure the highest quality of care for the seriously mentally ill. APA should develop in conjunction with district branches, as it has with practice guidelines, systems guidelines for the development and implementation of systems of care.

As an officer of the New York State Psychiatric Association, I have had the opportunity to learn about other issues affecting New York psychiatrists statewide: scope-of-practice issues, excessive Medicare carrier and managed care audits and denials, restrictions in licensing requirements for international medical graduates, and the inappropriate assault on ECT as an effective treatment. While these require local action, tactical guidance and financial support from the national APA are critical for success.

Ensuring this type of open and effective communication between New York members and the APA governance and central office is a core responsibility of the Area trustee. New York state priorities must be effectively brought forward to and addressed by the national APA. In addition, the actions, policies, and fiscal decisions of the Board of Trustees must be communicated to New York members. A trustee must be fiscally prudent and work to ensure that APA dues and other income are well spent on the critical goals of advocacy, public affairs, and member satisfaction. As an Assembly representative from New York County, I sponsored an action item to create the Business Advisory Council to assist the Board of Trustees in major fiscal decisions.

Recruitment and retention of members are critical in any professional organization. Joint national and local initiatives are needed to engage trainees and early career psychiatrists and proactively reach out to uninterested colleagues and lapsed members. Member satisfaction must be a top priority, including easy access to member services. As an Assembly representative from New York County, I have supported action items on a moratorium for a dues increase and accountability of the national APA to its district branches for member services.

Finally, as Area trustee I would be available and responsive to the ideas, concerns, and suggestions of individual members, our district branches, and our state association. The time for action is now.