Candidates for Area 5 Trustee
Committee on Government Relations: Vice Chair, 2002-; Area 5 Representative, 1992-
AMA: Alternate Delegate, 1997-2003; Member, Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, 2003-10
Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association: President, 1988; Vice President, 1977; Chair, Committee on Government Relations, 1990-; APA Assembly Representative, 1996-2002, Deputy Representative, 2002-
Louisiana State Medical Society: President, 2000-01; Council on Legislation, 1992-95
Member, Board of Directors, NAMI-New Orleans, 1989-
Why am I running for Area 5 trustee? It's not because I need to pad my CV. It's not because I have lots of free time. It's because I am incensed with the way our specialty and our patients are being treated. Discriminatory payment schedules, scope of practice incursions, and erosion of patient confidentiality continue to occur.
I have spent over 20 years involved in organized medicine addressing these issues at the local, state, and national levels. I have come to realize that participation at the Board level of APA as your trustee is the only way I can ensure that psychiatry will have the desired impact on these national issues, so that they will get the kind of “command support” this effort truly deserves as we advocate for our patients and our profession.
Fiduciary authority is vested in APA's Board of Trustees, and I pledge to vigorously work to maintain the legislative and regulatory activities currently in place. Also, I will encourage, if not ensure, that our members who give of their time, effort, and resources get the education and encouragement necessary for effective grass-roots involvement.
I believe that I will bring a special expertise to the APA Board of Trustees because of my extensive experience in the arena of government relations at the local, state, and national levels. In addition, I have served as president of the New Orleans Area Psychiatric Association (NOAPA) and the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association (LPMA), as well as my parish (county) and state medical societies (Orleans Parish Medical Society and the Louisiana State Medical Society).
My governmental affairs experience, coupled with my understanding of association and member dynamics, will be helpful to the Board as we continue our scope-of-practice struggles in the various states and the national debates on third-party payment issues, including Medicare, Medicaid, and in the private sector.
Not only must our Board maintain a clear understanding of these issues, but we must be increasingly dedicated in our efforts to marshal true grass-roots involvement, not only of our members and their families, but also our natural coalition partners in NAMI, the mental health associations, and our colleagues in local, state, and national medical associations.
From our recent legislative experience here in Louisiana, the importance of developing and maintaining a solid infrastructure of key contacts with legislators, especially newly elected ones, was reinforced. Grass-roots“ lobbying” does not come naturally to most of us; however, it is paramount that we become active players in the process.
As your trustee, I will welcome input from all of you so that I can best represent your concerns and our patients' interests on the Board. I will live up to the assertion that advocating for our patients and our members is our most important mission at APA.
The challenges to our specialty are considerable; I am prepared for that challenge and would appreciate your support of my candidacy.
Primary Professional Activities and Sources of Income
Professional Activities
90%—Private practice
10%—Organized medicine activities
Income
100%—Private practice
