DB Leaders Talk Programs, Problems

In keeping with recent custom, APA President Pedro Ruiz, M.D., invited the presidents of two district branches to give presentations to the Board of Trustees. At last month's Board meeting in New York, Nyapati Rao, M.D., of the Brooklyn Psychiatric Society and Joseph Napoli, M.D., of the New Jersey Psychiatric Association talked about recent challenges and successes.

Rao noted that Brooklyn's poor mental health “infrastructure” and large low-income population qualify it as an “underserved area” and cause “enormous personal stress” for local psychiatrists. He said that “bottlenecks caused by immigration problems” of the district branch's many international medical graduates affects their training opportunities and the amount of care available to the local population. He said members of his district branch count on APA to address issues such as access, insurance coverage, and physician visa concerns.

Napoli pointed out that the New Jersey district branch is proud of its recent growth, which has allowed it to gain a third representative in the APA Assembly. The organization is starting a mentoring program, he noted, to bring new members into the district branch's committee structure, and he has appointed a task force to look at problems in access to care. New Jersey psychiatrists are also gearing up for an expected legislative battle over granting prescribing rights to psychologists.