Candidates for Area 3 Trustee: Houshang G. Hamadani, M.D.

I am honored to be nominated by my peers for the position of Area 3 trustee. If elected, I will continue my proactive efforts reflected in the number of action papers which I have authored in my 17 years as representative of Pa., two years as deputy representative and four years as Area 3 representative in the Assembly of APA. Today, as in years past, we face numerous challenges. The problem of access to psychiatric care for those without insurance coverage continues to be an overwhelming problem. Inadequate funding has forced our researchers and educators to do much more clinical work to support their academic positions, and their hardships may ultimately affect the quality of teaching psychiatry. The managed care system threatens our independence and ability to practice psychiatry as we were trained and are qualified to do.

The scope of practice is being extended to those who have no proper medical and psychiatric training. Many psychiatrists working in the public mental health system are asked simply to write scripts and sign documents, and have no voice in the medical and clinical management and administration of the centers. Some hospitals have attempted to go against the traditional medical model and appoint nonpsychiatrists as the head of the department of psychiatry. Fortunately, we were able to pass a resolution in the Assembly, which was ratified by the Board, making it the policy of APA that no nonpsychiatrist should be appointed head of the clinical department of psychiatry in a general hospital. Despite the fact that a number of action papers have been written in response to these problems, implementation has still not been completed. One of my goals as a trustee of Area 3 would be to encourage the allocation of our resources toward influencing state and national legislation to improve these situations.

As Area 3 trustee, I would see that the Board continues to encourage the participation of our younger colleagues so that they may develop into future leaders of APA. I would also encourage the Board to take a more active role in advocacy both in public affairs and government relations. Public affairs activities need special attention from the Board in order to continue the campaign against the stigma of mental illness, to increase public awareness of suicide, and to address problems of teenage mental health and the shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists. Our colleagues should continue to discuss important issues with legislators personally and expand upon recent meetings. Another public affairs problem is the antipsychiatry movement initiated by a pseudoreligious cult which unfortunately has enlisted a number of celebrities. The Board must continue to work jointly with the Assembly to fight such allegations. Finally, if I am privileged to be elected, I will do my best to work closely with the Area Council, the Assembly, and the DBs to voice your ideas to the Board and to forward our goals, which ultimately is to provide the best and highest quality of care for our patients.