No Backing Off

As physicians stand by helplessly, our national health care system has changed dramatically over the past three decades. We’ve watched as managed care organizations with legislative authorization have diverted billions of dollars away from patient care to windfall profits. Nowhere have these changes been more dramatic or more destructive than in the field of psychiatric medicine.

In the face of these powerful destructive forces, physicians have turned to their national organization in search of an ally. We seek to strengthen our voice in the national debate to ensure that our perspective is heard for the benefit of our patients. I was therefore shocked and disheartened when I learned in the February 6 issue that “APA President Marcia K. Goin, M.D., and Medical Director James H. Scully Jr., M.D. . . . have secured the support of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson for medical board oversight of psychologists’ prescribing.” Now with the input of APA’s top officials, the nation has a plan authorizing “safe” prescribing practices for psychologists.

The battle by psychologists for prescriptive authority has received an enormous boost. This disaster prompted me to write Drs. Goin and Scully requesting they resign so APA can disavow their endorsement of organized psychology’s agenda. But how could this have happened?

In talking with Dr. Goin, she explained her reasoning. I appreciate and respect her opinions, but doesn’t our leadership have a responsibility to represent us? We’ve listened for years to candidates claiming that APA has to become more responsive to the needs of its members. How can it be that the national organization has become so disconnected from the individuals it exists to represent? Without a national organization to champion our views, how can we hope to shape our nation’s health care policy? If APA doesn’t represent us, how can we support it?