Candidate for Secretary

Over the next five to 10 years, APA must become the most respected and member-friendly medical specialty organization. Our membership numbers will reflect our success in meeting this goal. To accomplish it, we must elect leaders who will place the importance of function above egos and create a unified DB/SA/APA culture.

If elected secretary, I will direct my efforts toward the achievement of this goal.

I am an experienced psychiatric/medical leader. I deal with complicated medical staff and hospital-wide strategic issues daily. My leadership style is inclusive and collaborative. I achieve change by coalition building. Example: The Connecticut State Medical Society filed a lawsuit against seven HMOs in 2001. Some were amused, most ignored us. During my year as president, we built (and continue to build) our coalition. We have now been joined by 14 other state medical societies. Our lawsuit is integrated with the RICO suit and, in spite of many managed care efforts to derail it, remains on track for trial.

Two other issues dear to me, and where I have played an active leadership role, are the APA Business Initiative and the APA Patient Safety Initiative. The former is now part of APA’s business plan, and the latter came before the Board in November.

One of the responsibilities of the secretary is to chair the Ethics Appeals Board. I serve on the Ethics Appeals Board and am familiar with APA ethics procedures.

▪ Advocating for patients

▪ Advocating for our profession

Because of fiscal overruns and decreased income, APA needed to reorganize. We must now complete this task ASAP and move APA into the future, joining our new medical director in creating what is shaping up to be an exciting future.

In terms of priorities, (1) we need to further strengthen our congressional coalition to pass a genuine parity law and strong privacy legislation; (2) in conjunction with DBs and state associations, APA must launch an all-out membership campaign with a well-coordinated, unified plan, methods, and goals; (3) APA should devote more resources (both dollars and people) at the state level to defeat, and prevent from even appearing, state legislative initiatives that permit psychologist prescribing. We need strong coalitions with others—NAMI, state legislators, AMA, etc.—to accomplish this. My experience with coalition building and with the successful implementation of strategic goals would strengthen the APA leadership team.

If elected secretary, I will devote my efforts toward the achievement of the above goals.

    100%—Hartford Hospital

    100%—Hartford Hospital