I am deeply honored with the nomination. I have earned this nomination by my track record of over 25 yeas of service at all levels of APA (DB, Area and National) in both elected and appointed offices and my contributions as your Trustee at Large during the last three years. Now I'm seeking your support to continue my efforts on behalf of you, the APA members, on behalf of our patients, their families and our profession. My goals today are built on those that I expressed in my 1993 and 1994 APA elections. You can read them at the APA Web Site which carries my Web Site. My number one objective is the preservation of our identity as the only true integrative medical specialty committed to bio-psycho-socio-cultural model and fully cognizant of the complexity and power of the doctor-patient relationship in treatment.
APA has started to provide clear leadership and assistance for our members who work in various practice settings. Abusive corporate practices are now being clearly identified and exposed. We have a MC Hotline, a litigation fund and educational programs for our members. But more needs to be done. We have begun to stand up and defend our hard earned competences (through years of formal education and training) to conduct comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and make treatment decisions with our patients and their families.
We are now exposing the public deception of claims of "Comprehensive Care" while actually offering "limited care" to patients and expose psychiatrists to maximum ethical and legal liability as agents of rationing of care with the goal of maximizing obscene corporate profits for corporate executives and their stockholders. We are now exposing those abusive corporate policies that put psychiatrists in situations of conflict of interest leading to the compromise of their professional integrity as physician-healers. through "gag rules", corporate procedures that violate patient privacy/confidentiality on the altar of utilization review and restricting the scope of practice of psychiatrists to medication management, disallowing psychotherapy. APA cannot be for or against any specific system of care because any system can be misused and abused. APA must remain the guardian of Quality Patient Care. This is our central to our mission and our credibility and our very survival depend on how well we fulfill that mission.
My 20 year experience in Ethics (where I pioneered the first model of due process ethics hearings in APA) and started the movement in ethics education in 1977, and where I have been working ever since) has prepared me for chairing the APA Ethics Appeals Board which is the only other specific task that the APA Secretary is expected to fulfill, besides the preparation of the APA Board minutes and agenda in consultation with the APA President.
My second objective is to ensure that APA utilizes this period
of transition that the succession of our Medical Director, Mel
Sabshin, M.D. offers to plan and implement a much needed APA restructuring.
In many ways we are already well into this transition process
with the selection of the new Medical Director, having just been
completed and the work in process about restructuring the governance
structure of APA. My goals during this period are 1) to establish
an active, collaborative working alliance with the new medical
director and assist in whatever needed ways in the preservation
of the high morale and dedication of our valuable APA staff during
this period of change, 2) to ensure that the APA Board remains
focused on the "burning" concerns of the APA membership
and continues to foster close "hands-on" assistance
from APA to DBs and Areas, especially in public affairs and legislative
areas in this period of privatization and increasing autonomy
at the state level for the administration of the Medicare/Medicaid
programs. Making the APA member-friendly and relevant is the only
way for us to ensure our survival in this period of change, both
within and without our profession. I have worked and implemented
just such active collaboration between APA/Area VI in the area
of Public Affairs. Clearly, more needs to be done. Clear priorities
and objectives have to be set and all of the central APA functions
have to be involved.