by F. M. Baker, M.D., M.P.H.
Chair, APA Committee on Ethnic Minority Elderly
[November 1995; Vol. 22 No. 5]
The Fall Committee Meetings of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) were not “business as usual.” Through the initiative of APA President Mary Jane England, M.D., working closely with Richard Harding, M.D., Speaker of the APA Assembly, some 500 APA members were convened in a Leadership Conference to address the issues facing APA members with the charge to develop specific plans and strategies to solve the identified problems and plan for future needs. Following the APA Committee and Council Meetings on the 14th and 15th of September, 1995 held in Washington, D.C., individual APA members, representatives of the District Branches, and APA members serving as Chairpersons of Committees and Councils met in an initial plenary session on Saturday, the 16th of September, 1995. Breaking into four small groups of approximately 125 psychiatrists, four Topic Groups were formed:
A: Psychiatrists Work in the 21st Century with Topic Chair Carol Nadelson, M.D.
B: Strategic Alliances with Topic Chair Nada Stotland, M.D.
C: District Branches with Topic Chair John S. McIntyre, M.D.
D: Individual Members with Topic Chair Paul J. Fink, M.D.
Within each Topic Group four specific subtopics were identified and each Topic Group began with a presentation of the data and problems of these four subtopics. For the “Psychiatrists Work in the 21st Century” Topic Group, the four subtopic areas were: Supply Issues (Larry Faulkner, M.D.), Demand Issues (Phil Gorman, M.D.), Timing Issues (Jim Shere, M.D.), and Research Issues (Harold Pincus, M.D.). Some 30 psychiatrists met in each subtopic area for each Topic Group. The level of enthusiasm and energy within the small groups was high with focused attention to complete the task of identifying solutions to the articulated problems and identifying the means of implementing solutions. For those interested in a detailed schedule of the Leadership Conference, a booklet providing an overview of this special meeting can be obtained from the Central Office of the APA.
The Leadership Conference process addressed the evolving practice patterns, the importance of establishing networks with primary care physicians, and the increasing role of computer technology in psychiatric practice. On Sunday morning, the four subgroups of each Topic Group reported to the Combined Topic Area Group, presenting strategies and recommendations for solutions.
A final plenary session was held in which the recommendations resulting from the four Topic Areas were summarized. Recommendations for a more responsive APA central office, a standardized medical record acceptable to managed care companies and psychiatrists, the importance of developing computer skills among APA members to use the evolving technology including the Internet to disseminate information, education, and eventually, patient information were presented. The importance of clear ethical standards, integrated models of care for a diverse patient population, and the evolving role and use of computer technology were major recommendations of the conference. The restructuring of the Council on Medical Education to include as members Directors of Managed Care Programs was a specific recommendation that supported a change that was in process. The reworking of the supervision of residents work to allow billing was an important recommendation.
At the conclusion of the Leadership Conference participants were enthusiastic about both the process and the result. Specific recommendations were to be presented to the Board of Trustees at its meeting on Monday, 18th September 1995. Participants left with a sense of accomplishment and an expectation that the work completed would be translated into specific products. It was a renewing and reorienting experience to participate in the Leadership Conference which demonstrated the vitality of the APA and the ability of its members to generate