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"It's been a great honor, an important responsibility, and a significant opportunity to address the Assembly," he told Assembly representatives at its meeting last month in San Diego. "Without your support, a president can't succeed."
Eist recalled that following his election victory, immediate past speaker Richard Harding, M.D., and Speaker Dale Walker, M.D., facilitated the town hall meetings held in every Area, "allowing me to get to know virtually each member of the Assembly."
"The openness, hospitality, and warmth of the Area Councils demonstrated and established what a truly welcoming family we are and why a higher percentage of psychiatrists belong to our Association than members of other specialties to theirs," said Eist.
He also thanked the Area Council representatives for their hard work.
Eist praised Walker for his assistance and presented him with a pair of his gold cufflinks depicting heads of Indian chiefs. Walker is part Cherokee and had admired the cufflinks on an earlier occasion.
"I really don't know what I would have done without him--his quiet strength, organizational understanding, and at times outright guidance," said Eist. "Through a shared baptism in the blast furnace of officership, we have developed a deep mutual respect and friendship."
Eist described how the office of president has become and should continue to be "an activist presidency, a members' presidency, and a reaching-out presidency."
"It should also be a presidency of great pride in our field, but above all an advocacy presidency for those we serve and all those we represent," said Eist.
"To the extent any of these essential ingredients are not firmly established in the new presidency, it is my fault. With your support, I have had by all modest accounts a three-year presidency."
He referred to a potential reorganization of APA. "With your help and wise counsel, these efforts will lead to a more focused, integrative, and effective APA."
To continue the dynamic shaping of APA, Eist and incoming APA President Herbert Sacks, M.D., recently appointed a new strategic planning task force. Walker will serve as chair and Harding as vice chair.
The task force will meet in August with the new strategic budget committee in consultation with APA Medical Director Melvin Sabshin, M.D., and Medical Director-Designate Steven Mirin, M.D. The purpose will be to design organizational and fiscal approaches to advance APA's areas of priorities, noted Eist.
"Clearly, the Assembly will have a leadership role in the coming strategic reorganization," said Eist.
He commented on the increasing effectiveness of APA's governance system in which the Board and Assembly act as partners. "Nearly every action paper that has been brought forward by the Assembly has been approved by the Board."
He added, "Although I anticipate future disagreements, goodwill and strong advocacy from different perspectives allow us to form and forge strong compromises."
He predicted that APA will become "the foremost patient advocacy professional agency in the world. I see in the not-too-distant future our finally capturing public empathy on a grand scale for those suffering from mental illness, and we will once and for all have a true parity. I certainly will not rest until we have accomplished this goal."
Eist praised "all the wonderful people who will never allow American psychiatry to sell itself short or disappoint the American people."
(Psychiatric News, June 20, 1997)