Personal Statement
As a psychiatrist who has spent the past 30 years caring for and studying patients with mental illness, I am deeply concerned by what is happening to psychiatric medicine and mental health care. The pressures of cost containment and the process by which health care reform is being implemented are affecting our ability to treat patients optimally. As psychiatrists we must contend with a number of challenges, including the impact on our patients of the stigma of mental illness, inequities in the reimbursement of mental health care, as well as new regulatory demands including maintenance of certification and adoption of electronic health records.
On the positive side, the scientific knowledge underpinning our field and the number and quality of medical students seeking careers in psychiatry are growing. Even these encouraging developments, however, are being threatened by decreased funding for research and proposed reductions in graduate medical education.
For these and other reasons, it is critical that the APA play an increasingly active role in representing the interests of our profession and our patients. Psychiatrists need to have a strong voice at the table in determining health care policy and funding, advocating for their interests and the interests of our patients, and protecting the integrity of psychiatric practice.
I have spent my career pursuing research and caring for patients, and am honored by this nomination and the potential opportunity to help our profession in this time of great change and challenge. I ask for your support in this election and look forward to working closely with you to improve our profession. Working together, we can help the APA fulfill its noble mission as “the voice and conscience of psychiatry.”
This website provides information about my background, my qualifications for the office of President, and outlines what I propose to do to advance our profession and better serve persons in need of psychiatric services. My specific priorities for action are listed on the Issues page and on the Q&A page. During the campaign I will be posting position statements on the Q&A and in brief videos.
I would like to hear your views and concerns about what the APA and its leadership can do to support your professional activities and improve mental health care. I strongly encourage you to communicate your questions and comments to me via email or on the Q&A page. I welcome your input and look forward to hearing from you.