Board Approves Online CME Programs to Ensure Members Get Needed CME Credits for 2020
Abstract
As the coronavirus pandemic worsened in severity last month, the Board held a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting to discuss a number of important issues.
APA President Bruce Schwartz, M.D., leads a discussion at last month’s Board meeting about options to provide online educational opportunities offering CME to take the place of the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.
The APA Board of Trustees unanimously voted that APA could not hold the 2020 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in the wake of numerous travel restrictions and public health guidance associated with the pandemic spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Board met in Washington, D.C., last month as the COVID-19 pandemic, already exacting a huge toll of sickness and death in parts of Asia and Europe, was spreading in the United States. Several trustees participated in the meeting through videoconferencing.
“In an atmosphere of unprecedented uncertainty, the Board carried out its business continuing to be mindful of the current and long-term welfare of the Association, as well as the health and safety of its members and the public,” said APA President Bruce Schwartz, M.D.
So that members can earn CME credit for licensure and certification purposes and sharpen their clinical skills, APA put together two online educational programs. The first program, called APA Spring Highlights Meeting, will be held April 25 and 26. (Some APA members will not receive this issue until after the meeting.) It features an Opening Session and sessions led by subject experts and thought leaders, some of whom were slated to appear at APA’s Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. The program is free for members and can be accessed here.
The other program is 2020 APA On Demand. This program is similar to APA Annual Meeting On Demand, which historically has consisted of scientific sessions from the Annual Meeting and includes presenter slides synchronized with presenter audio. The presentations will cover emerging clinical topics, cutting-edge science, and new therapeutics and offers more than 300 hours of education. Users can claim up to 75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Presentations will continue to be recorded over the coming months and added to the online library on a rolling basis within 24 hours of being recorded. Once all presentations are recorded, a USB will be shipped to those who selected this add-on option upon purchase. APA On Demand can be ordered through this link.
As the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, many trustees participated in the Board’s March meeting through videoconferencing software. Above are Michele Reid, M.D., incoming trustee-at-large, and Kristin Kroeger, M.D., APA’s chief of policy, programs, and partnerships.
APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., urged members to take advantage of the program. “While it is not the Annual Meeting, APA On Demand will offer the same essential education our members and mental health professionals have come to expect from APA and its Annual Meeting,” he said.
Also at last month’s meeting, Board members voted to approve a new format for APA’s Institute on Psychiatric Services (IPS). The 2021 meeting, to be called The Mental Health Services Conference, will be held in October 2021 in New York City. It will focus on interprofessional treatment of patients with serious mental illness and feature plenary sessions followed by breakout sessions—as opposed to the multiple session formats used in the past. The meeting will strive to maintain the intimacy and the focus on public psychiatry and those with serious mental illness that has always characterized the fall meeting.
The format was one of two that a work group led by Jacqueline Feldman, M.D., had proposed after extensive study of the IPS and its future.
The Board of Trustees also approved the following:
Improved APA election and nomination process: Trustees voted to improve the process for nominating candidates to the Board of Trustees to ensure a uniform process and deadlines for all Board seats. These proposals include a deadline of August 1 for the submission of nominations to the APA central office, and a deadline of September 1 for nominees to submit more detailed information about their background. The Nominating Committee will continue to have its recommended candidate slate complete by November 1. Proposed changes to APA’s Bylaws permitting these modifications will be submitted to the Assembly for review and approval. If approved, they will be effective for the 2021 election cycle.
Accountability for climate change: The Board approved referral of the action paper titled “Accountability for Climate Change” to the appropriate central office department to provide updated information on the potential financial impact of this action paper to the Board for its May meeting.
Report of the Ad Hoc Work Group on Continuing Care Guidelines: The Board accepted the report and a number of its recommendations and referred it to the Assembly. Trustees voted to refer five of the recommendations to APA councils for review and feedback for the Joint Reference Committee’s October meeting.
Psychiatric Services Editorial Board: Trustees approved the appointment of Jeanne Miranda, Ph.D., and Jason Schiffman, Ph.D., to the Psychiatric Services Editorial Board for a four-year term, May 2020 to May 2024.
APA Foundation Board: The Board approved the recommendation of the Foundation’s Board of Directors to reappoint Gabrielle Shapiro, M.D., and to newly appoint Gregory Dalack, M.D., for three-year terms commencing in May 2020. Ben Zobrist, a former major league baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, was approved as a public member of the board for a term of four years commencing in May 2020, and Eleni Anne Greenwood-Jaswa, M.D., M.Sc., was approved as a public member for a term of three years, commencing in May 2020. ■
